Six London charities were today celebrating after being awarded £100,000 by myLotto24 – the online lottery betting operator.

The early Christmas present, awarded as part of Local Charities Day, provides a much-needed boost to the grassroots organisations whose work collectively reaches more than 3,000 Londoners in four London boroughs.

From coding qualifications, to safe housing for LGBTI asylum seekers, and inter-generational hip-hop dance classes, the two-year funding enables the charities to continue their important programmes combatting loneliness and isolation, employability, and mental ill health in the Capital.

Shenaly Amin, Head of myLotto24 UK, said: “The myLotto24 Good Neighbourhood fund was set-up to support organisations who often fly under the radar but are doing incredible work in London. These six amazing charities are doing just that. Our £100,000 Christmas present helps set them up for the next two years to continue supporting so many Londoners.”

The six charities selected were:

• Code Your Future – based in Islington. They provide free accredited training courses in coding to disadvantaged groups including refugees and asylum seekers. Awarded: £10,000.
•  North London Cares – based in Islington. Founded by the UK’s only recipient of an Obama Fellowship, they bring together people from different generations to improve local connections and reduce isolation. Awarded: £16,036.
• Micro Rainbow International – based in Southwark. They provide housing support, employability training and social programmes for LGBTI asylum seekers and refugees – many of whom have fled persecution in their birth countries. Awarded: £20,000.
• Mental Fight Club – based in Southwark. A user-led organisation providing a community café and wellbeing activities for those with lived experience of mental ill health. Awarded: £20,000.
• Sound Minds – based in Wandsworth. They help transform the lives of people experiencing mental ill health through participation in arts activities. Awarded: £19,672
• SUFRA – based in Brent. They provide a range of services to address extreme poverty, homelessness and social isolation, including a foodbank and community kitchen. Awarded: £20,000.

The charities had another surprise in store when an oversized matador from myLotto24 presented them with their cheques outside the iconic Tower Bridge.

The ‘Fatador’ was recently unleashed on London as part of myLotto24’s Spanish Christmas Lottery campaign, where Londoners now have the opportunity to win a share of £2.1 billion by betting on El Gordo – the world’s largest lottery.

Germán Bencci, General Organiser, Code Your Future, said: “A coding qualification is a way into sustainable employment in a job of the future. This award from myLotto24 enables us to continue helping people, whatever their circumstances, to better themselves.”

The myLotto24 Good Neighbourhood fund was set-up in 2014 and has awarded more than £250,000 in grant-funding to 23 London charities spanning 14 boroughs and reaching nearly 10,000 Londoners. It is administered by the London Community Foundation.

Contacts:
Media Relations:
Lena Patel, myLotto24
0203 666 6112
Lena.patel@mylotto24.co.uk

Notes to Editor:

• myLotto24 is fully licensed in Great Britain and Ireland, and has more than 3 million customers globally.
• myLotto24, invented the concept of jackpot-matching online lottery betting. It has generated stakes of more than €3 billion and paid out more than €1.5 billion in winnings.
• In 2015, myLotto24 made a life-changing payment of €48 million to a customer – the then world record for the single largest lottery betting payout.
• myLotto24 currently provides betting on the outcome of different international lotteries to UK customers; Irish National Lottery, Cash4Life, EuroJackpot, German Lottery and El Gordo.
• myLotto24 is affiliated to the stock-market listed ZEAL Network SE (ZEAL Group