The £1-a-ticket lottery will give supporters of United – the sporting heart of Banbury – the chance to win cash prizes every week while helping the club's development, especially its youth and community work.

The lottery is sponsored by John Nicholls and we are grateful to them for their on going fantastic support of the club.

As well as raising funds for the club's initiatives, a percentage of each week's profits will be donated to the Keep the Horton General (KTHG) campaign group which works to protect and enhance services at the town's hospital.

Lottery Promoter Mark Allitt said, “This is the type of fundraiser that supporter-owned clubs have made very popular because everyone has a good chance of winning and they're supporting their club.

“Our inspiration has been the achievements of our friends at Merythr Town who run a very successful lottery. We’re really excited by it and hope we can be as successful as other clubs have been.

“We have several projects we want to pursue including working with local schools and our new partnership with Banbury and Bicester College. The introduction of the lottery will help us achieve those aims.”

United Chairman Phil Lines added “We were extremely keen to link our lottery with a local good cause which means something to everyone in Banbury and we feel KTHG is the one.

“We’re ready to support the long-standing efforts that have been made to protect the hospital, since it’s the town's most vital public service that's really important to all and especially to those of us involved in local sport.”

Tickets will cost £1 and will be on sale at various outlets in the town, which will include various club sponsors. People can also play via the club’s website on a standing order basis.

Players choose three winning numbers from a choice of 20 to win 50 per cent of the weekly prize fund. The numbers will be drawn every Friday afternoon. In addition, 10 per cent of all sales will be donated to KTHG.

The first draw will be made on Friday 7 June.

The small society lottery will be administered by a group of trustees, the Friends of Banbury United Community FC. They include Banbury Utd Ambassador Ronnie Johnson, Martin Humphris of Humphris Funerals and David Banks of Banbury Print and Design.

The lottery will be promoted by Mr Allitt, the club's Commercial Director and Promotions Manager. The trustees will oversee and provide governance to the scheme which has been registered with Cherwell District Council.

"We're really delighted and very grateful that Banbury United has put the Horton at the top of the town's priorities and is donating a proportion of this new lottery's profits to the campaign group," said chairman Keith Strangwood.

"Keep the Horton General is a small organisation that is dedicated to protecting services that are essential for the wellbeing of our growing town.

"We are currently working hard behind the scenes to research and present information from around the country to assist the Horton Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee which is re-examining removal of consultant-led maternity."

Mr Strangwood said he wished the Banbury United Community Club Lottery huge success and congratulated Mark Allitt and his colleagues on their hard work over many months to bring the project to its launch.

Other supporter owned clubs such as Rushden and Diamonds, Newport County, Merthyr Town and Wycombe Wanderers run their own lotteries very successfully.

The club launched the lottery to its members on Thursday, May 9 at the club’s Spencer Clubhouse. The attached picture shows Mark Allitt, Promoter, Keith Strangwood from Keep the Horton General, Adam England from sponsors' John Nicholls and Martin Humphris, Trustee.

For further details, contact Mark Allitt on 07503 162632 or lottery@banburyunitedfc.co.uk