Hassocks lottery needs ‘flood’ of support

Margaret Ford (chair of Hassocks Amenity Association) and Bob Kenhard (treasurer) promote the Hassocks Village Lottery. Pic Steve Robards

There will be a draw each month with 40 per cent of the proceeds going to prize-winners. The rest, 60 per cent, will benefit the Amenity Association, the Ist Hassocks Scout Group and ‘Light-up Hassocks’ - a small group of volunteers dedicated to organising a Christmas festival and providing festive lights for the high street.

The Amenity Association’s committee members came up with the idea of a lottery to enable them to fund a number of projects to improve Hassocks, including work to revitalize raised flower-beds in the village centre and work to improve Spitalford Bridge on Keymer Road, which dates from the Georgian era.

Margaret Ford, who chairs the Association, said: “Everything depends on enrolling enough members to make the project viable.

“So far, there has been a steady trickle of returned forms to join the lottery and we hope the trickle will become a stream but we dream of a flood!

“Expenses are minimal, with everything being done by volunteers. If 500 people decided to join for example, that would yield £300 each month to the promoters with £200 for prizes.”

Hassocks has a vibrant Scout group with funds always needed for camping trips and other activities.

Assistant Group Scout leader Brian Spencer said: “This lottery is fantastic for us. We’ve always been very well supported but this is an added bonus and we are very grateful.”

Michelle Binks, who chairs ‘Light-up Hassocks’, added: “We have to raise £5,000 a year, purely for the Christmas lights and this lottery gives people the chance to support us and the chance of winning something back.”

The lottery, supported by Knight’s Budgens, starts this December. You can pick up an application form at pubs and shops in the village.

Fill in the form and deliver it with a cheque for £12 - the annual membership fee - to three collection points: The Hassocks Parish Centre, Adastra Park; HAA Treasurer Bob Kenhard c/o 7, Beaconhurst, Keymer or Orion News in Orion Parade.

Make cheques payable to: Hassocks Village Lottery Club.