The Health Lottery has increased the amount of its proceeds that go to good causes by five percentage points because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The lottery said it was making the move, which will result in the proportion of its proceeds that go to good causes rising from 20.3 per cent to 25.5 per cent from today, because of the effects of the Covid-19 outbreak on charities and community organisations.
The Health Lottery consists of 12 regional and country lotteries operating under the same brand across Britain.
The money raised for good causes is allocated to one of the regions each month in rotation to tackle health inequalities.
The scheme, which has raised more than £115m for good causes since it was launched in 2011, initially caused controversy in the charity sector because a lower proportion of its proceeds went to good causes than the National Lottery, which passes on about 28 per cent of each ticket sold.
Martin Ellice, managing director of The Health Lottery, said the outbreak had left many charities and projects in a vulnerable position.
“That’s the reason we have taken the decision to increase the level of contribution by over 25 per cent, allowing us to support the health inequality projects that are so important to local communities,” he said.
“Every single one of the charities and projects funded through The Health Lottery carries out wonderful work and it’s of paramount importance that we keep them alive.”