Alliance Communities spokesperson Sian Mulholland MLA has launched a public consultation for her proposed Private Member's Bill, "Lotteries for Communities," aimed at providing a crucial funding boost to charitable organisations in Northern Ireland.

The North Antrim MLA made the announcement today (Friday, 9 May 2025) ahead of a meeting with charity representatives during a visit to Young Lives v Cancer.

The proposed legislation seeks to make it possible for large society lotteries to operate in Northern Ireland, a move that could unlock significant financial support currently unavailable to local charities.

Ms Mulholland highlighted the pressures facing the sector: "No longer having access to EU funding, bearing the brunt of increasingly constrained public funding, and seeing more demand than ever as they pick up the pieces of a broken system fractured even further by the cost-of-living crisis, our charitable organisations provide invaluable services and deserve all the help we can give them." She explained the rationale behind the bill: "Large society lotteries have already proven to be highly successful in Great Britain and across Europe, raising millions in vital funds for good causes in local communities. This proposal aims to introduce legislation that would bring Northern Ireland into alignment with the rest of the UK and allow them to operate here as well."

The MLA pointed to the potential financial benefits, citing figures from The Lotteries Council which indicate that in 2023 alone, society lotteries in Great Britain contributed over £420 million to good causes. "Currently, NI is the only UK region where organisations like hospices, sports teams, and local charities cannot raise equivalent funds through charity lotteries, creating a major funding gap," Ms Mulholland stated.

Estimates provided by the People's Postcode Lottery suggest that introducing these changes could enable the charity lotteries they operate to generate over £7 million per year for Northern Ireland. Similarly, the Local Hospice Lottery has estimated it could raise an additional £1.4 million annually for hospices in the region.

Addressing the current legislative landscape, Ms Mulholland said: "The current state of our lottery laws in Northern Ireland is a result of historical legislative decision-making and a cautious approach to reform which has allowed us to fall behind. It's now time to finally make progress and uplift our charity and voluntary sector in the process. I'd encourage everyone to complete our consultation and let us know your views."

The consultation on the "Lotteries for Communities" bill is now open for public input.