🎲 Acorns Children's Hospice Trust

Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust: Company Overview

Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust is a UK charity that provides specialist palliative care and family support to children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions across the West Midlands and surrounding regions. Established in 1988, the Trust operates multiple hospices and community services to deliver respite, end-of-life care, bereavement support, and holistic assistance for families. As a registered charity (charity number 700859), Acorns relies on a diversified fundraising model, of which licensed society lotteries and raffles form a vital part.

From a gambling regulatory perspective, Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust is authorised by the Gambling Commission to run society lottery activities that help fund its charitable mission. These lotteries offer supporters a structured, compliant way to contribute to care services while participating in prize draws. The Trust’s registered office address is Drakes Court, Wythall, Birmingham, B47 6JR, UK.

Fundraising Through Society Lotteries and Raffles

The Trust’s lottery and seasonal raffles are tailored to a charity context: affordable entry prices, transparent prize structures, and clear statements of how proceeds support hospice care. This approach ensures that the Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust lottery and raffles maintain a strong focus on social good while complying with UK gambling laws. Unlike commercial gaming operators, the Trust does not provide casino or betting products; its regulated activity is limited to society lottery fundraising.

UK Gambling Commission Licensing

Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust is listed on the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) public register under account number 66152. The Trust’s licence status is active, confirming it is permitted to conduct society lottery activities in line with the Gambling Act and the Commission’s Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP).

Licence Types and Scope

According to the register for account number 66152, the Trust is licensed for Society Lottery (Non-Remote) and Ancillary Remote Society Lottery activity. In practice, this means:

- Non-Remote Society Lottery: The core lottery and raffle activities, including draws conducted offline, under strict rules on promotions, ticket distribution, draw integrity, and proceeds.

- Ancillary Remote Society Lottery: Limited online components, such as taking entries or payments via a website or digital form, are permitted in support of the primary non-remote lottery. This facilitates modern donor engagement while ensuring the draw itself remains compliant with non-remote requirements.

For any changes or updates to licence types, the UKGC public register is the authoritative source.

Operated Websites and Brands

Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust operates one online presence connected to its lottery and raffle fundraising: acorns.org.uk. The Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust lottery site provides information about current draws, participation criteria, responsible gambling guidance, and how proceeds support children’s hospice care. Although this is not a casino or betting platform, users often refer informally to “Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust lottery” or “Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust raffle” when searching for details about how to take part online.

Regulatory Compliance and Governance

As a UKGC-licensed society lottery operator, the Trust adheres to the Gambling Act, the LCCP, and relevant technical and advertising standards. Core compliance areas include fair and open terms, transparent prize promotions, auditability of draws and proceeds, age verification controls, responsible gambling messaging, and secure payment handling. The Trust aligns its lottery governance with its wider charity governance, ensuring robust oversight from senior management and trustees.

Regulatory Actions and Track Record

There are no reported regulatory actions against Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust on the UKGC register for account number 66152. This clean compliance record reflects the organisation’s focus on low-risk, charity-first lottery operations and adherence to published rules and guidance.

Player Safety and Responsible Gambling Measures

Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust places player protection at the heart of its fundraising lotteries. Although entry prices and risks are generally lower in society lotteries than in commercial gambling sectors, the Trust follows the same core principles of safer gambling:

- Age verification: Processes are in place to prevent underage participation and to verify that entrants meet the legal age requirement for society lotteries.

- Fair play and transparency: Clear terms and conditions, draw dates, prize structures, and proceeds statements help participants make informed decisions.

- Self-exclusion and customer support: The Trust supports requests for self-exclusion and provides signposting to help and advice if play stops being fun. Participants can also contact the charity for assistance with changes or cancellations to lottery subscriptions.

- Marketing standards: All promotions meet the UK Advertising Codes and the LCCP’s requirements for fair and not-misleading marketing, with appropriate risk information and responsible messaging.

- Financial safeguarding and privacy: The Trust applies secure payment processes and appropriate data protection measures to keep supporter information safe.

Technology and Software Used for Charity Lotteries

While Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust is not a casino operator and does not run slot games or sports betting, it does utilise technology appropriate for a modern charity lottery. Common capabilities in this context include:

- Secure payments and recurring entries: PCI-compliant payment gateways and options for one-off raffle tickets or recurring weekly lottery entries via direct debit or card.

- Draw management and audit trails: Systemised draw processes with audit logs, randomisation controls for ticket selections, and verifiable results to support fair outcomes and compliance checks.

- Player communications: Automated confirmations, draw reminders, result notifications, and receipts to ensure transparency and good supporter experience.

- Responsible play tooling: Self-exclusion workflows, clear spend and entry information, and content controls to reinforce safer participation.

- Reporting and proceeds tracking: Detailed reporting that evidences the proportion of proceeds returned to the charitable purpose, as required for society lotteries.

These features support a secure, compliant, and user-friendly experience on the Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust lottery site while maintaining the charity’s focus on fundraising impact.

Why This Matters for Supporters

Supporters who take part in Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust lottery draws and raffles can be confident that the activity is fully regulated, proceeds are directed to a defined charitable purpose, and appropriate player protections are embedded. The Trust’s UKGC licence (account number 66152), active status, and clean regulatory record demonstrate a strong commitment to compliance and ethical fundraising.

Key Takeaways

- Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust is a UK charity providing specialist children’s hospice care and family support, funded in part by regulated society lotteries and raffles.

- UKGC account number: 66152; licence status: active; licence types include Society Lottery (Non-Remote) and Ancillary Remote Society Lottery.

- The Trust operates one online presence supporting its lottery activity at acorns.org.uk, offering information and secure participation options.

- No regulatory actions are reported on the UKGC register for the Trust, indicating a strong compliance track record.

- Responsible gambling is central to operations, with age checks, clear terms, self-exclusion options, and secure payment/data handling in place.

For individuals interested in a safe, regulated way to support children’s hospice care, the Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust lottery and seasonal raffles offer a transparent and meaningful route to make a difference.