29th February 2008

BingoLotto Launch

29 February 2008

Olympic medallist Katharine Merry will represent athletics at the launch of a new lottery show tonight with the hope of winning up to £100,000 to invest in the sport.

 

UK Athletics (UKA) will be amongst the long term beneficiaries of BingoLotto – a new TV game which will raise money for sport and the voluntary sector.

 

BingoLotto is a weekly game launching tonight, broadcast on digital TV channels Virgin1 and Challenge. Tickets will be on sale from outlets around the country and will allow viewers to take part in the BingoLotto game from their own homes, with a 1 in 9.5 chance of winning. Tonight’s launch will be a star studded affair where Kath will be up against other sports stars to win cash for their sport.

 

The BingoLotto game has run in Sweden since 1991 where it has raised just under £1bn for charities and sports organisations. At least 20% from each ticket sold in the UK will be distributed to sport and recreation projects up and down the country. Profits from the show will be distributed to the governing and representative bodies of sport and recreation.

 

The funding UKA will receive will be spent on new and enhanced programmes of activity at the grassroots or on special projects, like infrastructure improvement and capacity building, for which funding is currently unavailable.

 

Niels de Vos, UKA Chief Executive, believes the investment the organisation will receive can make a big difference to our members:

 

“We are delighted to be involved in BingoLotto and hope that our involvement can enhance our already extensive support of grassroots projects. We wish Kath lots of luck tonight and I’m sure she’ll do the sport proud.”