Charities and community groups are being urged to sign up to the Swindon Community Lottery.

The borough council has launched the game to help provide income for groups from the Swindon branches of national charities to small local organisations, such as sports clubs and support groups.

Volunteers and staff from about 40 organisations were at the council chamber to hear from the organisers.

Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet member for corporate services Keith Williams told them the lotto was designed to make things easier for good causes.

He said: “We have done the work about getting the licence form the Gambling Commission.

"And you don’t have to be a registered charity to take part or benefit. This will work for much smaller groups as well.”

The actual game will be managed by specialist lottery company Gatherwell, which runs lotteries for schools charities and more than 20 similar local authority games.

Managing director Ben Speare told the audience: “It’s designed to be very easy for you. Every lottery is run on the same platform, which means as we improve the platform, every lottery website improves.

“If your good cause signs up, it will have a page on the Swindon Community Lottery website, and for everyone who signs up to play the lottery through your good causes site, you will benefit.”

For every £1 ticket sold, 60p will go to the causes, 20p will be used for prizes, and 20p on Gatherwell’s costs and VAT.

If a player signs up through a group’s page on the site, then the cause gets 50p of the £1. Ten pence will go into a community fund to be administered by the borough council.

Because players can’t buy single tickets but sign up for a minimum of one month, groups can get a more regular income.

Mr Speare said: “The vast majority of players sign up for a recurring monthly payment, so that’s much more dependable. And unlike a grant, you can spend the money on whatever you need.”

Caroline Wheller work for Aylesbury Vale District Council and set up the first local authority lottery to be run by Gatherwell in 2015. She gave examples of a cricket club which receives £2,500 every year and uses the money on youth coaches, a carers support group receives £728 a year and pays for a second group meeting.

Groups can sign up at swindonlottery.co.uk