Raffle funding holidays for frontline workers and vulnerable young people in Shropshire

All money raised from the raffle will go towards the Youth Hostels Association’s Project90 appeal.

The appeal, which aims to raise £500,000, will fund life-changing adventures and crucial breaks for 1,800 vulnerable young people and NHS and frontline workers and their families in England and Wales.

It has already raised £140,000.

A total of 90 young people and 90 frontline workers and their families selected for the breaks will be from the West Midlands.

With more than two million households – many with children – living through lockdown without access to a garden, the breaks which will be provided by the Project90 appeal, are more important than ever.

However, with its network of youth hostels currently closed because of the pandemic, YHA has been unable to fundraise for its Project90 appeal, which was launched earlier this year to celebrate the charity’s 90th anniversary.

YHA hopes that through the raffle it will raise enough money to give up to 5,000 vulnerable young people, NHS and frontline workers and their families a two-day break in 2020/21.

Ambition

Outdoor clothing and equipment retailer Cotswold Outdoors has donated the first prize of £3,000 as well as a number of runner up prizes.

Charlie Simpson, associate director for charity development at YHA (England and Wales), said: “Like all charities right now we are having a tough time and have had to come up with new ways to raise much-needed funds for our Project90 appeal to ensure that the people who need a break the most get them.

“We’re immensely grateful to Cotswold Outdoor for supporting the raffle and making it possible to make a big difference in the lives of people who need it the most.

"But we can only achieve our ambition if people support us.”

People can buy raffle tickets at getinvolved.yha.org.uk/fundraising/raffle

Tickets cost £1.

The raffle closes on August 28 and winners will be announced the week commencing September 4.