Words published in the Jersey Evening Post Tuesday 19th December.

THE draw for this year’s Channel Islands Charity Christmas Draw takes place on Thursday – so there’s not long left to buy a ticket.

But whether you win or not, your lottery ticket is so much more than just a chance to hit the jackpot – it’s a chance to change lives, minds and hearts for the better.

Every time you buy a lottery ticket in Jersey, you contribute to a pool of funds that are allocated to various local charitable causes via the Jersey Community Foundation (JCF) and the Association of Jersey Charities (AJC). Through these two grant-giving organisations, your lottery ticket funds resources for projects, programmes, services, infrastructure, research, equipment and other essential needs, helping charitable organisations to make a positive and lasting impact. The funding aims to be accessible and inclusive, providing opportunities for a diverse range of charitable organisations, regard- less of their size or scope.

In Jersey, JCF distributes 50% of CI Lottery proceeds to local charitable organisations and voluntary groups twice a year, each May and November. Funds are directed specifically towards sports and active lifestyles: arts, culture and heritage; and applied science and research. The remaining 50% of proceeds are distributed to registered charities by the AJC.

Each year, the CI Lottery distributes between £1 and £2 million to causes in Jersey and Guernsey. Here are just two of hundreds of projects making a difference in our community. Both projects put a spotlight on how lottery funding helps make Jersey a more inclusive place. To find out more about these two projects, we were given access to a performance of Goldilocks and The Three Bears at Janvrin School, as part of an initiative to promote literacy and improve access to the arts and theatre. And our team visited Jersey Zoo with Paul, who uses a wheel- chair, and his wife, Maureen, to experience the benefits of funding firsthand.

Every Child Our Future

£5,000 was awarded to Every Child Our Future by JCF with the aim of providing a dual-language theatre performance to support the development of vocabulary for children aged three to five across eight schools – particularly those speaking Portuguese.

The fun performances were followed by a short workshop to develop the themes and language of the story; and copies of the story and accompanying props were provided for all children in each class. Much research shows that listening to a story in your first language is not just beneficial for your language skills but also your sense of identity and wellbeing.

The story that was brought to life was Goldilocks and The Three Bears at Janvrin School. The performance was appropriately short (around ten minutes) to suit the nursery and reception-aged children and was followed by a Q&A session, which gave the children the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the play.

The show was delivered with talent and energy by local performance company Flair Entertainment. As well as crisp, clear delivery of the main narrative points of the story, the three actors performed using British Sign Language (BSL) and Makaton signs, to enhance understanding and promote inclusivity. Amidst the laughter, there were clear signs of engagement and enjoyment and the teachers have been incredibly positive in their feedback, one of them saying: “ Janvrin really loved the dual-language performance! The children were all super engaged and they loved all the characters. The children were so shocked that the characters were using their home language. They loved the big bad wolf in particular.”

There is a larger inclusivity piece here too. As well as introducing the world of performing arts to a young audience who might never have been to the theatre before, there is a clear linguistic and cultural benefit to pupils. For those who speak English at home, tuning in to Portuguese exposes them to new sounds and the reality of a world made up of many languages. For those with English as an additional language, hearing the words they speak at home being performed in school can help make them feel more settled, secure and, ultimately, understood.

The need for dual-language education is backed by JCF’s Local Needs Assessment (2022), which found that English was an additional language for 26% of students in Jersey. With a quarter of the Island’s primary children standing to benefit, this relatively small initiative could pave the way for a more inclusive culture across our Island schools; one where no child gets left behind.

Helping to create a more inclusive Jersey is just one of many ways in which lottery funding can make a positive change within our Island communities. By working with an expert grant-giving organisation such as Jersey Community Foundation, CI Lottery can ensure the funding tar- gets charities and organisations with the greatest need across the sector. As well as taking advantage of data uncovered in their Local Needs Assessment, JCF have a robust grant-giving process: applicants are required to fulfil certain criteria and to outline the impact of their project on the community.

Applications are then assessed by a panel of independent, sector-specific grant advisers, who submit recommendations to the JCF board, who make the final decision on funding. If successful, grantees also provide JCF with monitoring and evaluation data. This ensures effective project management but also provides valuable insight into the impact of funds.

Jersey Zoo

30,000 of CI Lottery funding was award- ed to Jersey Zoo by the Association of Jersey Charities to improve accessibility for visitors living with disabilities. As part of their vision to make Jersey Zoo an inclusive destination for individuals of all needs and abilities, the Zoo has collaborated with local people and specialist organisations. Their joint venture began with an accessibility audit designed to identify areas needing improvement. Thanks to funds from CI Lottery tickets, the Zoo is carrying out the first phase of improvements, which encompass enhanced access to enclosures and buildings, as well as flooring, lighting and ramp up- grades.

Several improvements have already been completed or are in plan, including: the installation of new flooring and a new ramp at the reptile house, ensuring safer and easier access for visitors while enhancing navigation; a gradual reduction of gradients on pathways to enhance mobility accessibility; the widening and flattening of paths throughout the Zoo; and the addition of signage pointing to alternative routes where full accessibility is incomplete.

We visited the Zoo in October with Paul and his wife, Maureen, to review the improvements and Paul chose to navigate the park using one of the Zoo’s rentable mobility scooters. When asked what impact accessibility improvements made to Paul and his family, Maureen told us: “It means he can come with the grandchildren. He’s not having to sit in the car while I dart around, which I do in many places. The difference on Paul... the smile on his face, it’s wonderful.”

We were able to navigate most of the attractions freely and on a gracefully dry day, moving around outside in particular, was a very smooth experience. There were some areas that felt tight, such as the “roundabout” style system in the sloth enclosure but, in general, Paul was able to navigate the park without help, thanks to the mobility scooter.

Most areas of the Zoo are accessible by wheelchair, mobility scooter and push- chair but they know they can do more. Small changes make a huge difference, and this funding and their inclusive, collaborative approach to transformations and improvements set the tone for a more accessible Zoo.

So next time you’re asked in your local supermarket or store if you’d like to buy a Christmas lottery ticket, remember, every ticket is a winner – as your purchase is making a meaningful difference and contributing to the remarkable impact of lottery funding on local charities and our Island community.

Charities awarded CI Lottery Funding by the Jersey Community Foundation in 2023

Total Awarded: £483,326.95

Government of Jersey Natural Environment, £6,000; Jersey Building Preservation Trust, £18,000; Government of Jersey Natural Environment, £1,500; Jersey Triathlon Club, £11,888; Sangan Island Conservation Ltd, £26,500; Dementia Jersey, £11,843.50; St Brelade Youth Project, £40,000; Jersey Tennis Association, £4,900; Jersey Aquatic Rescue, £5,000; St Clem- ent’s School, £1,900; National Trust for Jersey, £19,331; ArtHouse Jersey, £9,000; Jersey Literary Festival Association, £17,000; National Trust for Jersey, £27,738; The Moving Arts, £10,090; Focus on Mental Illness, £47,220; Art in the Frame Foundation, £11,000; Jersey Arts in Health Care Trust, £10,000; Alliance Française de Jersey, £4,960.75; Government of Jersey Natural Environment, £4,300; Jersey Rowing Club, £21,250; Padel for All Ltd, £13,700; Jersey Sport, £20,713; Regent Skating Club, £13,600; Jersey Table Tennis Association, £13,000; Government of Jersey Natural Environment, £5,000; Uppsala University, £42,226; The Glass Rainbow Trust, £20,116; Every Child Our Future, £5,000; Jersey Water Polo Association, £12,050.70; Art in the Frame Foundation, £23,500; HMP La Moye, £5,000.

Charities awarded CI Lottery Funding by the Association of Jersey Charities in 2023

Total awarded £357,299

Brightly, £30,000; Jersey Women’s Refuge, £30,000; Jersey Zoo, £30,000; Macmillan Jersey, £30,000; Maison des Landes Trust, £30,000; James’ Ark, £28,000; Jersey Employment Trust, £30,000; Jersey Scout Association, £21,433; Jersey Trees for Life, £30,000; Sanctuary Trust, £30,000; St Mary’s Youth & Community Centre, £20,000; Jersey Recovery College, £25,500; 7 Overseas (Jersey) Squadron, Air Train- ing Corps, £29,389: Dementia Jersey, £30,000;Family Mediation Jersey, £19,410; Focus on Mental Illness, £15,000.