GOODFUND GETS A BIG SMILE FROM LOCAL CHARITY

North East charity, Make a Child Smile, today received its first cheque from charity lottery organisers GoodFund at their Stockton-on-Tees offices.

GoodFund handed over a £1,106 cheque to Make a Child Smile, which helps sick and underprivileged children in the Tees Valley, County Durham and North Yorkshire.

Manuela Wendler, executive manager of GoodFund, said: “Thanks to the support of local people who subscribed to the new charity lottery, we are able to hand over the first cheque to Make a Child Smile. The amount results from the ticket sales for the very first four monthly draws. However, we will be able to raise even more money with the start of weekly draws and a growing number of players.”

Tracey Butler, manager of Make A Child Smile, added: “We work tirelessly trying to raise funds for children in this area so it’s a massive boost to be chosen to receive regular donations from Goodfund. The more people taking part can only be a good thing for all the charities concerned.”

Make a Child Smile is just one of the permanent beneficiaries of GoodFund and will regularly receive money raised through the ticket sales of the new North East Postcode Lottery. The charity aims to make a long term difference to a child’s future by providing medical equipment or treatment unavailable in normal circumstances.

GoodFund receives a percentage of ticket sales of the charity lottery, operated by the Postcode Lottery. The North East is the first region in the UK to play the new lottery, which is expected to be rolled out to other parts of the country in the new year.

Other permanent beneficiaries of GoodFund in the North East include Children North East, Just For Kids, Groundwork, the Sunshine Fund and the National Missing Persons Helpline.

For more information on GoodFund or the Postcode Lottery, please visit the websites www.goodfund.org or www.postcodelottery.co.uk.