A man who lost his wife to cancer has won a £1m house after donating £10 in a charity lottery.
Ian Garrick, 56, from Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire, was seeking a fresh start after his wife Julie died of breast cancer nearly five years ago.
The civil servant entered a competition which was in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust, but then “didn’t think any more of it”.
“My dream when entering the draw was to get away from here for a fresh start and it’s happened,” he said.
“I still can’t get my head around it.
“It’s a new start for me, a new start for my sons, leaving some of the bad memories behind and starting again.”
Mr Garrick’s new house is in Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester.
The property is 3,000 sq ft and includes four bedrooms, four bathrooms, large living areas, a big kitchen, home office, landscaped garden and hot tub.
It is a far cry from Mr Garrick’s current house, which he described as “falling down around us”.
Mr Garrick said: “I’m not saying money is a cure for all problems but it will make life’s challenges positive ones.
“Everyone is over the moon for me, I’ve had messages from my close friends and colleagues saying ‘it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy’.
“I feel quite teary about it all, any cancer charity has my full support.”
Mr Garrick said life for the past five years had been difficult for him and his three sons – James, 30, Callum, 22, and Nathan, 19.
“We’ve just been trying to hold each other together,” he said.
“If I’m honest, we needed some sort of boost to carry on.
“A new house, new experience, and a new train of thought for us all is exactly what we need.”
The competition is run by US fundraising company Omaze and aims to raise £1m for Teenage Cancer Trust over the next three years.
There is another million-pound house draw in December.
James Oakes, senior vice president of Omaze in the UK, said: “We’re thrilled that Ian got to help out a charity that means a lot to him and can now enjoy this life-changing prize in time for Christmas.”
Kate Collins, chief executive of Teenage Cancer Trust, said the pandemic has seen the charity’s income fall by a third, leaving it with a shortfall of around £6m a year.
“The funds raised will help ensure our nurses and youth workers can continue providing exceptional care to young people with cancer when they need us the most,” she said.
