National Lottery good cause income down by £100m year on year
The National Lottery’s quarterly contributions to good causes fell by £107.8m year on year after a court case caused its operator “very significant reductions in revenue” due to delays in implementing income-generation measures.
Figures from the Gambling Commission showed that contributions to good causes in the first quarter of 2026/27 (April to June) dropped to £377.2m, down from £485m during the same period in the previous year.
A spokesperson for Allwyn, which operates the National Lottery, told Third Sector the year-on-year drop was partially due to a record-breaking EuroMillions rollover series in 2025/26, which had 12 jackpots above £100m and several above £200m.
This generated “exceptionally high sales” and therefore returns to good causes, which was not replicated this year, the spokesperson said.
But Allwyn also pointed to findings from a High Court judgment in April this year, which found the operator and lottery had suffered reductions amid the prolonged litigation.
The case was brought against the Gambling Commission by the New Lottery Company and Northern & Shell PLC, unsuccessful bidders in the fourth National Lottery licence competition in 2022.
The High Court dismissed the claims in full, including the New Lottery Company’s damages claims, which sought more than £1.3bn, and its claim that the fourth licence should be terminated early.
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Staff at theatre charity dismissed over ‘extremely serious matters’
Theatre Royal (Norwich) Trust, which runs the Theatre Royal and the Playhouse Theatre, said it had terminated the contracts of an undisclosed number of staff.
The charity, which operates as Norwich Theatre, said the situation was “hugely disappointing” for its teams but it had “no other option” but to take this action.
A spokesperson for Norwich Theatre said: “Unfortunately, the contracts of a number of hospitality workers were terminated last week as part of an ongoing internal investigation into extremely serious matters.
“This was done in full accordance with our own policies and procedures and in compliance with our contracts and employment law.”
The charity, which has 264 employees, declined to comment on how many staff were dismissed and the reasons for their dismissals, saying its investigation was ongoing.
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Disability charities to merge
Two Devon-based disability charities have announced plans to merge. Disability Together will absorb Disability Focus, with the resulting organisation set to operate under the Disability Together name.
Disability Focus, established in 2007, recorded an income of £603,289 in the year ending 31 March 2025, while Disability Together, founded in 1990, recorded an income of £2.3m for the same period.
The organisations said they had a “long history” of working together across Devon.
Disability Focus supports disabled people in the county with managing their benefits and finances, while Disability Together provides advice, wellbeing services and hands-on training to help disabled people in the area live independently.
The charities said the combined organisation would have a more comprehensive offer for disabled people across Devon.
It would be a “larger, more resilient charity with the scale, skills and financial sustainability needed to meet growing demand at a time when funding for the sector remains under significant pressure”, the charities added.
Under the proposed terms of the merger, all 15 Disability Focus staff will transfer to Disability Together, joining its 84-strong workforce.
Both charities’ boards confirmed there would be no redundancies as a result of the merger.
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