Dutch Prime Minister Balkenende attends Good Money Gala of the Dutch Postcode Lottery

Amsterdam, 5 February 2009
-The Hague, 5 February 2009 – This afternoon, in the Kurhaus in Scheveningen, Dutch Prime Minister Balkenende presented the first cheques for 2008 to three well-established charity organisations. With that, the National Postcode Lottery exceeded the 2.5 billion mark donated to charity organisations since its formation in 1989. The Prime Minister was guest speaker at the lottery’s annual Good Money Gala, held in the Kurhaus in Scheveningen this afternoon. In his speech, he called for a new moral perspective.

According to the Prime Minister, focusing on the intangible side of life is more than justified, particularly in these uncertain economic times. In terms of increasing involvement in local communities and society as a whole, Balkenende believes that charity organisations play a pivotal role. “The strength of a society lies within its social middle classes, the civil society. As a government body, you must keep intervention in the initiatives, ideas and ideals that flower therein to a minimum. Providing freedom and confidence, that’s the government’s adage”, the Prime Minister explained.

2.5 million Euros for charity
In 2008, ticket sales of the National Postcode Lottery grew by 8.5% to 488.6 million Euros. Half of this amount, 244.3 million Euros, will be donated to 66 man and nature charity organisations. That figure represents an increase of 19 million Euros compared to 2007. Thanks to this growth, new long-term beneficiaries can be added this year.

Growth for beneficiaries
The new beneficiaries are active in those fields where the Postcode Lottery supports charities: development aid & human rights, social cohesion and nature & environment
Mama Cash, De Vrolijkheid, Dance4Life, ICCO, the European Partnership for Democracy and the IMC Weekend School are engaged in fighting poverty, protecting human rights and social cohesion in the Netherlands.
As from today, the Dutch Culture Landscape Association, the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance and The Climate Group receive long-term aid for nature preservation and improving the environment.

Climate
The National Postcode Lottery donates more than 4 million Euros to climate initiatives. All participants in the lottery in 2009 for instance, receive a LED lamp. Through this Prize, the Postcode Lottery, in conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund and Lemnis Lighting, wants to introduce LED technology in the Netherlands on a major scale. In addition, the climate change theme focuses on policy influencing, science, concrete solutions, creativity and the spirit of entrepreneurship. The Climate Group is a new long-term beneficiary and the Rocky Mountain Institute and the Carbon War Room both receive lump sum donations. This year, as in previous years, prize money will be made available for the Postcode Lottery Green Challenge, a competition for climate-friendly entrepreneurs.

Support for special projects
The DOEN Foundation will receive a lump sum donation of 3 million Euros for the ProCredit Holding, to meet the strong demand for small loans for entrepreneurs in developing countries.
In 2008, the extra draw generated more than 18.5 million Euros for charity. This amount will be spent on concrete projects of existing beneficiaries.
• Preservation of the rain forest in Papua New Guinea by the World Wildlife Fund;
• A permanent impulse for African journalism by World Press Photo and Freevoice;
• Nature development and eco-tourism in Bulgaria by ARK Foundation and Avalon Foundation;
• Fighting child labour in gold mines in Burkina-Faso by Unicef;
• Publicity for human rights activists via People that Matter of Amnesty International;
• Aid for human trafficking victims in the Netherlands by Humanitas;
• First Mission: a film about the work of Doctors without Borders;
• Postcode Lottery Fund of Freevoice for Dutch journalists to prepare reports in developing countries;
• Organisation of the Ooij Polder by the Dutch Culture Landscape Association;
• Improving education and healthcare in South Kivu, the Congo, by Oxfam Novib and Doctors without Borders;
• The renovation of the Eerde Estate by the Society for the Preservation of Nature in the Netherlands.

Winners
In 2008, the total prize money, representing a value of more than 215 million Euros, was divided among the winning participants. The year was concluded with the largest prize in the history of lotteries in the Netherlands: 27.9 million. In 2009, in addition to many other prizes, the Big Whopper Prize is awarded in a winning postcode and surrounding district in the Netherlands twice. Back...