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A new lottery, aimed exclusively at people living in Swindon and its surrounds, is heading for its first big draw on 5 November.

Launched by the Prospect Hospice to raise funds for its care services, there will be a weekly prize fund of £1,700, with a top prize of £1,000 and prizes for 74 other ticket holders. For the first draw, Honda have donated a lawnmower valued at over £550.

The slogan 'We can both be winners,' has been coined to promote the lottery which costs only £1 a week to enter.

The Prospect Hospice was launched in 1995 to provide specialist palliative care to help individuals and those close the them throughout the many stages of illness, including death. It costs £5,000 a day to run, but only twenty per cent of annual income is provided by Wiltshire Health Authority and social services departments. The other eighty per cent has to be found from voluntary sources to cover the day-to-day expenses and the development of services.

We are committed to offering quality services and following advice we decided that the lottery would be perfect for Prospect Hospice, said Ann Wilkins, Head of Fundraising. It will make Prospect Hospice and the community that it serves partners; everyone becomes a winner when they join. At all times the quality of care remains at the forefront of our thinking.

Tickets can be obtained from a number of sources. The easiest is by buying several weeks in advance using the application form in the brochure printed by Arkell's Brewery available widely in the town.

They can also be bought at the Prospect Shops located in the Brunel Centre in Havelock Street, Old Town, and Gorse Hill. Canvassers will be coming to your door with brochures and tickets.

Businesses linked to the Swindon Chamber of Commerce have the brochures, and other businesses are asked to make them available to all their employees.

Lottery manager Linda Bishop is confident that the lottery is going to be a success. The people of the Swindon area are very supportive of Prospect Hospice, and now they have an opportunity to become a partner with it and to win cash prizes.

This form of lottery has been successfully used by hospices throughout England and we are sure it will do well here.

Canvassers needed People willing to distribute the Prospect Hospice Lottery brochure door to door and then call back to collect applications are needed. If you can help or would like more information, contact Linda Bishop or Joan White at the lottery office 01793 615 870.