I am grateful to ALNA and Lotterywest for the opportunity to attend the industry breakfast in Perth yesterday.
It was terrific hearing from the Minister for Small business as well as the new CEO of Lotterywest about the value they place on lottery retailers, who are predominantly newsagents in Western Australia. They spoke to the value of their local small business retail network and the connection with local communities through the grants made by Lotterywest.
The meeting was another reminder of the value of Lotterywest being a state owned enterprise. I bet premiers on the east coast wished they still owned lottery businesses given the financial value invested back into the WA community each year. It was also a reminder of excellent work done by ALNA for newsagents here.
The other aspect of government ownership is the relationship with retailers, it is very good. retailers feel listened to and valued, as opposed to the type of relationship lottery retailers experience outside of the state. Compensation is considerably higher too.
The other value of yesterday’s meeting was the opportunity to catch up with industry folks before and after the breakfast. Invaluable.
In case you are not familiar with the Lotterywest Community Grants Program, it provides significant funding to community organisations across the state. These grants support projects that benefit the community in a variety of ways, including:
- Community development: Funding for projects that aim to improve the quality of life for residents, such as building new community facilities, providing training and education programs, and supporting social activities.
- Arts and culture: Grants for arts and cultural initiatives, including exhibitions, performances, and festivals.
- Sport and recreation: Funding for sporting clubs, recreation centres, and community events.
- Health and wellbeing: Grants for health and wellbeing programs, such as mental health services, drug and alcohol programs, and disability support.
- Education and training: Funding for education and training programs, including scholarships, vocational training, and adult education.
- Environment and conservation: Grants for environmental and conservation projects, such as habitat restoration, wildlife conservation, and sustainable practices.
Local retailers often feature in grant presentations.