"It is our hope that the Great Northern Raffle will provide a real boost to our regions charities, when many now face their biggest challenge to date in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. One in 10 UK charities are facing bankruptcy by the end of the year as they struggle to cope with a £10bn shortfall caused by soaring demand for their services and lost fundraising income. We are aware that our smaller, locally based charities are especially exposed to the crisis, with nearly two-thirds reporting they have already made "significant" cuts to services. Now is the time for the North East to throw its weight and love behind our amazing charities. We do hope you will choose to participate in our raffle."