Widowed grandmother from Essex wins £4.5million mansion in Cornwall for just £25
A widowed grandmother has won a multi-million-pound mansion in Cornwall for just £25.
June Smith, aged 74 and from Essex, used to go on holiday to Cornwall in a caravan but is now the proud owner of a £4.5 million property there.
The six-bedroom, three-storey house overlooking Fowey Estuary was part of the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw.
As well as making June a multi-millionaire, the prize draw also raised more than £2million for end-of-life charity Marie Curie.
The house comes mortgage free, with all stamp duty and legal fees covered and June has also been given £100,000 in cash to help her settle in.
The dream home is the biggest-ever house prize draw to be given away in the UK. June is free to live in the house, rent it out or sell it.
June, who bought her winning entry for just £25, sadly lost her husband of 43 years, Ron, last year when he suffered a heart attack aged 74.
June has three children, Katherine, Wesley and Rory plus six grandchildren. Katherine and Rory live in East Anglia with two children each, while Wesley lives in Australia with his wife and two children.
June has lived in her two-bedroom detached house in Essex for the past 17 years. She worked as a bookkeeper before she retired to have children. Ron worked as an architectural designer all his life.
She said: "I was just settling in for a standard Friday night in front of the tele - then the next thing I knew I’d won a mansion, I couldn’t believe it. The first thing I did was call my children, the second was to open a bottle of red.
“My husband Ron died last year, but I’m sure he played a part in this win – he won it for all of us... he'll be looking down with an approving smile.
"Ron always wanted us to be financially secure as a family - and this house gives us that security.
“He spent his life working with architecture, he’d have absolutely loved this house – it’s a work of art."
June added: “We used to come for family holidays in Cornwall and stay in a caravan, but now we own a £4.5m mansion – it’s just unbelievable.
“The house is truly stunning and the views are simply breathtaking, even the rain couldn’t dampen our spirits when we first came here, it was love at first sight.
“It has its own yoga studio, so maybe I’ll take that up, although my son says it would make a great bar too.
“I’ve got six beautiful grandchildren and have now got plenty of room for all of them to come and stay - we’re going to have the best summer holiday ever.
“Having spent some time at the house, I’m definitely going to keep it for a while, whatever I decide to do long term it’s a life-changing win for our family.”
Chief executive at Marie Curie Matthew Reed said: “Congratulations to June and her family on winning this beautiful home.
"We want to express our enormous gratitude to all members of the Omaze community whose individual contributions will collectively make a tangible improvement to the lives of people affected by terminal illness in the UK.
“The money raised could fund around 100 Marie Curie nurses and healthcare assistants to support people with terminal illness. It would mean nearly 2,000 families receive expert care and emotional support when they need it most.
“Every five minutes, someone in the UK dies without the care and support they need. This is heart-breaking not only for each person it happens to, but also for the people who love them. That’s why this campaign has been so impactful.
“This partnership with Omaze will help Marie Curie be there for more people. Our nurses will be able to support more families to make the most of the precious time they have together.”
James Oakes, chief international Officer at Omaze, said: “We’re thrilled that June has won her dream home - and was able to contribute towards the fantastic £2.1million raised for Marie Curie in the process.
“Omaze is a win-win for both charities and entrants. This method of fundraising is helping to make a big difference. We’ve already raised £13.25million for good causes across the UK."