Nominations are open for Allwyn’s Local Retail Champions 2025 contest, which rewards community-minded lottery retailers with cash prizes.
The contest was launched last year and is back with a combined £120,000 up for grabs in 2025, together with a new prize category.
Two national winners will be selected from customer nominations, winning £15,000 each, while 16 regional winners, also nominated by customers, will be in line for prizes of £5,000 each.
New for this year is an Innovation Award, which will see two winners each given a prize of £2,500, together with a further £2,500 to bring their ideas on how to bring National Lottery Good Causes to life in their stores. This prize is open for direct applications from retailers.
Over 1,000 retailers entered last year, with winners Raj and Manish Suchak, and Natalie and Martin Lightfoot – owners of Coldean Convenience in Brighton and Londis Solo Convenience Store in Glasgow respectively taking the national prizes home for the first time.
Last year’s winners were recognised for organising fundraising events and local initiatives such as litter-picks and supplying breakfast clubs, though Allwyn says “anything that positively impacts the local community could be a reason for a nomination.
The firm’s director of commercial partnerships and retail sales, Alison Acquaye-Acford, comments: “Retailers right around the UK are doing incredible things to support their communities every single day. We want to find even more great stories again this year and reward retailers for their dedication and goodwill.
“As an organisation that is committed to positively contributing to society in how we go about our business, and with retailers helping to raise £30m every week for National Lottery Good Causes by selling tickets to players, it’s really important to us that we recognise and celebrate the incredible impact local retailers have on the places we live, work and visit.”
Allwyn says customers over 18 who wish to nominate local retailers should write up to 150 words before 19 October describing how a Lottery retailer has improved their community.
