Daily Express - 30.07.2019

Daily Express Tuesday, July 30, 2019 25

DX1ST

By David Pilditch

Benefited

Cowell and, left, Health

Lottery winners Robin

Marriott with his

girlfriend Keana

Cowell renews call for

£1m lottery jackpots to

stop charities closing

SIMON Cowell issued a fresh
call for the Government to take
urgent action to save thousands
of charities from closing.
The X Factor judge, 59, is
backing a campaign to boost
society lottery jackpots to
£1million a draw.
Campaigners are calling for
an end of a “10 per cent” rule
that means high-prize payouts
are impossible because they
are linked to ticket sales.
Cowell earlier this year told
the Daily Express £1million
jackpots were a “win-win”.
And yesterday he high-
lighted the plight of the Asian
Resource Centre of Croydon,
south London, which provides
help for isolated pensioners.
After meeting the charity’s
chief executive Ima Miah, the
TV mogul said: “Anything that
can help improve her charity
and thousands of others in a
similar situation, would be
much appreciated.”

Last night Ima, 40, appealed
to new Prime Minister Boris
Johnson to step in.
She said: “The 10 per cent of
ticket sales rule must be abol-
ished because it strangles chari-
ties like us from surviving.
“We do great work but we
need support to continue our
services. Please help us.”
To date, charities have bene-
fited to the tune of £109million
from the Health Lottery, which
is one of almost 500 licensed
society lotteries in the UK.
After a lengthy consultation
the Department for Digital,
Culture, Media and Sport

announced it will raise the

annual sales limit to £50million

and the maximum per draw

prize to £500,000.

But organisers hit out at the

measures and said 40 per cent

of the charities which benefit

are in danger of closing with-

out further funding. Martin

Ellice, group joint managing

director of The Health Lottery

said: “There are one million

reasons why the Government

should say yes to increasing the

jackpot to £1million per draw

regardless of sales and abolish

this meaningless 10 per cent of

ticket sales rule.” And Tony

Vick, chair of the Lotteries

Council, said there had been “a

missed opportunity to intro-

duce real reform to the sector”.

He said: “Increasing the

prize limit to £1million, regard-

less of sales, would have

offered future head room for

charity lotteries to grow.”

All white, baby? Albino joey takes first steps

Kviki stays close to protective mum PiksiKviki stays closetoprotectiviemumPikPikPikPikPikPikPikPikPikPikikksissisisisisiiiiiii

KVIKI the albino joey caused quite a stir

after deciding to leave its mother’s

pouch for the first time in public.

The much-anticipated moment was

captured by photographer Goran

Anastosovski after hours of waiting. His

pictures show the tiny pink-eyed

newborn sheltering behind albino

mother, three-year-old Piksi, exploring

its surroundings and nibbling on a leaf.

The marsupial was born in Skopje

Zoo in Gradski Park, Macedonia, where

Goran has been taking shots for well

over a decade.

“The feeling of photographing a baby

white kangaroo leaving the mother’s

pouch is extraordinary,” he admitted.

Albinism, which is caused by a

genetic mutation, is extremely rare in

kangaroos. White ones occur only once

in every 50,000 to 100,000 animals in

the wild. Youngsters are kept in their

mother’s pouch for nearly a year to

complete their development after birth.