THE city council launched an online lottery to raise funds for voluntary and community groups.

The Oxford Lottery is a weekly online lottery, with players able to win a jackpot of up to £25,000, while also nominating their favourite charities or community groups for other donations.

The lottery also supports the Oxford City Lottery Community Fund.

A single ticket costs £1 and 60 per cent of all ticket sales will go to good causes based in Oxford.

Marie Tidball, the council's executive board member for supporting local communities, said: “Each year the city council provides £1.4m of grants to voluntary and community groups in Oxford.

"The Oxford Lottery is an additional way of generating funding available to these groups. We hope that the Oxford Lottery will provide a new funding opportunity for them to develop new projects and sustain their resources."

She added: "The Oxford Lottery is a great way for the community to get involved and help support local groups in Oxford.”

Groups that have already signed up to the Oxford Lottery include Dovecote Voluntary Parent Committee, Cutteslowe Seniors and Crisis Skylight Oxford.

For more information visit the lottery's website www.oxfordlottery.org