Contrary to prior claims made by Jayne’s Baby Bank and its founder Carrie-Anne Ridsdale regarding the existence of a raffle or lottery licence at their Blackwood shop (13–15 The Market Place, NP12 1AU), a recent Freedom of Information (FOI) response from Caerphilly County Borough Council indicates otherwise.
We submitted the following FOI request:
Could you please provide any documents related to licenses, contracts, fees, or similar matters regarding the business located at Unit 13–15, The Market Place, Blackwood, NP12 1AU, operating under the name “Jayne’s Baby Bank” and/or any related entities?
The Corporate Information Governance Unit provided the following response:
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 – INFORMATION REQUEST
Thank you for your request for information received on 30th June 2025. We have considered your request and enclose the following information –
Could you please provide any documents related to licenses, contracts, fees, or similar matters regarding the business located at Unit 13–15, The Market Place, Blackwood during the period 01.10.23 to 10.07.25?
Information not held.
We confirm that there have been no businesses located at Unit 13–15, The Market Place, Blackwood during the period 01/10/23 to 10/07/25 that held any licences issued by our Licensing Department.
Yours sincerely,
Corporate Information Governance Unit
The most notable statement here is:
“We confirm that there have been no businesses… that held any licences issued by our Licensing Department.”
This directly contradicts claims made in previous livestreams and social media posts, including a now-deleted video in which Ms Ridsdale asserts that raffle and lottery operations were legally licensed. You can watch the archived video here.
Transcript Excerpt:
We are registered food banks within Caerphilly County Council, whether they recommend us or not. That is supporting us by allowing us to trade as a food bank and trade as shops. So they are supporting us.
If they weren’t supporting us, we wouldn’t be said that we haven’t got a raffle license or lottery license.
We do have a raffle license and a lottery license, so your investigation skills are below par, is what I can say there.
In another video posted on 01 July 2025 (source), she reiterates:
We run raffles, we do stuff, we do it all above board. We’ve got to renew our raffle licence. That’s not fraudulent collection of public donations.
However, our FOIA request confirms there were no such licences issued by Caerphilly Council at the Blackwood location during the stated period. This undermines prior public statements asserting lawful authorisation.
Gambling Compliance Concerns
Under the Gambling Act 2005, local authority registration is required to operate any form of raffle or lottery for fundraising purposes—particularly where tickets are sold in advance or on retail premises.
Even if a valid licence was once obtained (such as at the Aberbargoed property), it would not automatically carry over to new retail addresses. Each premises must be individually licensed. Displaying or repurposing a registration certificate from one location at another without proper approval may constitute a breach of local licensing requirements.
Should Ms Ridsdale or her representatives cite this image, it appears to be associated with a now-closed location and, per council records, does not apply to operations at Blackwood.
Further Evidence
You can explore all transcripted references to raffle or lottery claims using our Search Archive.
These include:
- Scratch card giveaways advertised as “raffles”
- Donation drives in exchange for “prize draws”
- Facebook posts referencing “raffle tickets” sold online or in shops
No clarification has been provided by JBB regarding the allocation or reporting of proceeds from these activities. Without proper licensing and public record, questions remain around regulatory compliance and transparency.
Final Word
This situation illustrates a wider pattern of inconsistency between public-facing claims and verifiable records—particularly when it comes to licensing, regulation, and legal status.
Under UK law, misrepresenting a lawful authority to solicit donations or conduct a raffle without appropriate registration can lead to civil and, in some cases, criminal liability. While no direct accusations are made here, the absence of official records must be acknowledged and addressed by the parties involved.
As always, the public is encouraged to verify credentials through official sources before donating to or participating in charitable or fundraising activities.
Sherlock