All complaints regarding The Big Lottery can be made directly to Royal Surrey Charity by contacting us at [email protected] or on 01483 464146.

Summary of procedure

• A response to the initial complaint or query within 1 working day of receipt of the complaint or query. If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved, the matter will be escalated in accordance with this policy.
  
  
• Each complaint will be taken seriously and fully investigated in order that a satisfactory resolution can be achieved. We will respond in full to your complaint within 8 weeks of receiving it.
  
  
• In the event that a satisfactory outcome has not be reached, in accordance with the agreed protocol arranged on behalf of members by the Lotteries Council the complaint will be referred to the Alternative Dispute Resolution Group (ADR), which acts as an impartial adjudicator on disputes that arise between gambling operators and their customers.
  
  
• The individual who raised the complaint will be provided with ADR referral details.
  
  
• The outcome of the ADR group intervention will be reported to the Gambling Commission.
  
  
• Royal Surrey Charity is also required to report any complaints received to the Fundraising Regulator on an annual basis.

Lottery complaints and disputes procedure

The Big Lottery is promoted and operated by Royal Surrey Charity (UK Registered Charity Number 1049776) Registered office: Royal Surrey Charity, Level A, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Egerton Road, Guildford, GU2 7XX.  

Royal Surrey Charity is licensed by Local authority - licence number (to be issued soon) issued by Waverley Borough Council to promote and operate the Lottery in accordance with the provisions of the Gambling Act 2005.

Responsible person: Robin Legge, Head of Fundraising, Royal Surrey Charity.

Royal Surrey Charity lottery is operated by The Fundraising Foundry Ltd, an External Lottery Manager (ELM) licensed by the Gambling Commission, account number 57455. The Fundraising Foundry is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 12391987 and whose registered address is 157 Bedford Road, Letchworth Garden City, UK, SG6 4DY.
Email: [email protected] or call 01483 464146.

Royal Surrey Charity will handle all complaints in accordance with this procedure:

STEP 1

In the event that you contact us with a problem or complaint, we will ask for your name, telephone number, email address and address, along with a brief outline of the nature of the complaint. We will then explain that your complaint or concerns will be passed onto the responsible person or other suitably appointed person, for their urgent attention and that they will contact you personally to investigate the problem or complaint.

STEP 2

We will aim to contact you immediately or within one working day. We will take time to listen to you and take a more detailed description of the complaint or dispute in writing. The responsible person or other suitably appointed person will next outline investigations and actions will take place in response to your concerns. If the complaint concerns a canvasser contracted by the fundraising agency recruiting to the lottery, the following additional steps will take place:

1. The charity reports the incident to the fundraising agency as soon as they become aware.
2. The charity will provide the fundraising agency with a written statement of the complaint.
3. A telephone interview will be conducted with the fundraiser against whom the complaint has been made. This will be undertaken by a senior member of management. At this time, the senior manager will make the decision whether or not to suspend the fundraiser. If the fundraiser is suspended we move to 4. All minor complaints are resolved verbally within 4 hours followed by an email response giving complainant statement, fundraiser statement and any other statements that were part of the investigation. It also incorporates a conclusion and action plan. This is supplied within 24 hours.
4. A written statement from the fundraiser will follow, where applicable, to the fundraising agency, clarifying their side of the incident. This needs to be completed within 24 hours.
5. The fundraising agency will complete their investigation. Sometimes the complainant may need to be contacted via the charity again as part of this investigation, ie if the issue is serious or if clarification is needed. We will respond in full to your complaint within 8 weeks of receiving it.

STEP 3

You will be asked if you are happy with what is suggested and also if you understand the procedure and what will happen next. This dialogue will be documented. We will not reveal your personal details to anyone involved in the nature of the complaint.

STEP 4

Once the responsible person or other suitably appointed person has established the facts concerning the complaint or dispute, you will be contacted to be informed of the results of the enquiry and what actions have been taken.

STEP 5

All complaints and disputes are logged and filed electronically, both in the charity complaints log and with the accompanying documentation. They will be kept on file for 3 years. 

If you are still not satisfied, we will refer your complaint/dispute to the Alternative Dispute Resolution Group at no cost to you.
ADR Group
5 London Hill
Rayleigh
Essex
SS6 7HW

Telephone: 020 3600 5050
Email: [email protected]

The ADR group will act as an impartial adjudicator after the complaint/dispute has been through the above stages of our internal dispute procedure and a deadlock still exists.

The outcome of the ADR group intervention will be reported to the Gambling Commission.

Royal Surrey Charity is also required to report any complaints received to the Fundraising Regulator on an annual basis.

This Complaints and Disputes Procedure is available to everyone on the charity website and by contacting the charity.