A Ross-shire lady has netted the top prize in a lottery which raises funds for the patients of Highland Hospice.
Lucky Pearl Turnbull from Dingwall had the winning number in Friday’s draw, which was a rollover prize of £4,800. This is the highest ever prize ever to be won in the Lottery to date.
Pearl said, “I was absolutely blown away when I received the call to tell me the good news. In all my life I have never won anything, so I thought it must be a hoax! The reality has now sunk in and I am just so happy and grateful. The Hospice is a wonderful cause which I am delighted to support. My £1 a week payments to the Local Hospice Lottery have certainly paid off for me, and I would urge anyone to sign up. Who knows, it could be you next!”
The fundraising initiative, which was introduced last year as part of Highland Hospice’s 25th Anniversary celebrations, has already attracted 6,500 members from across the Highland area. To date, it has raised an impressive £62,750 for Highland Hospice.
Local Hospice Lottery representative Ray Cameron was responsible for signing Mrs Turnbull up to the Lottery after visiting her house to explain how the initiative works and its benefits to Highland Hospice.
Ray said, “I am so delighted to hear of Mrs Turnbull’s fortune. News like this makes my job extremely rewarding. Not only do our players have a much higher chance of winning a similar prize than players of other lottery initiatives, they are also really helping the work of the Hospice which is a cause close to so many people’s hearts.”
He added, “As a registered charity, Highland Hospice’s services are given completely free of charge. This is only achieved because of the support of the Highland community.”
Each chance to take part in the lottery costs just £1, with lottery software randomly generating a six digit lottery number for the player. Prizes are issued automatically so players don’t need to worry about remembering to check their game number and claiming their prize.
Every week, people in the Highlands have the opportunity to win a guaranteed £1,500 first prize. The second prize is £400, third prize £100 and there are a further 100 prizes of £10 each. If the second prize is not won, it rolls over each week with the potential to reach up to £10,000, and this is how Mrs Turnbull won her prize.
Highland Hospice now receives 60p in the £1 from every new player, with this figure rising as the popularity of the lottery has grown. This compares to just 28p in the £1 going to good causes from the National Lottery.
Highland Hospice was the fourth UK hospice to join the Local Hospice Lottery, which has been running since 1996. A further four hospices have since joined in participating in the weekly draw.
To join Local Hospice Lottery, all you need to do is complete a simple application form. These are available from Highland Hospice and its shops, or online at www.localhospicelottery.org
Alternatively, a form can be requested by calling 0845 122 0772 or by emailing info@localhospicelottery.org.
