Scratchcard winner remembers old folk
A MUM who won £1m on a lottery scratchcard has presented a luxury hamper to an old people's charity.
Sharon Hall was delighted to hand over the goodies after nominating the Age Concern day centre in Cowplain to receive the bumper hamper from the National Lottery.
Mrs Hall scooped her own personal fortune on a Bullion scratchcard in May 2004 and was thrilled to be handing out the food and drink, including port, cheese and cava, to a charity she now plans to volunteer for.
At the time of her win she was Master at Arms in the Royal Navy and vowed to stay in position until she was able to retire in 2006.
Now the 41-year-old from Waterlooville has more time on her hands, she plans to volunteer at the Age Concern Borrow Centre where 100,000 of Lottery funding helped pay for the new building.
She said: 'My friend volunteers here and now that I've got lots more time on my hands I would like to start in the new year.
'The work they do here with elderly people is fantastic and I believe they change lives just by making them feel like part of the community.
'We are all going to get old one day and we don't want to be forgotten. People come here to make friends and it brings them out of themselves. It is a wonderful place.'
Since her win Mrs Hall and her 45-year-old husband, John, have been able to devote more time to family life. She said: 'One of the best things about winning is that I don't have to work now and every day I can walk my children to school.
'It is such a pleasure. I didn't have time to do that before.'
One of the first things the mother of two did when she won was move from her house in Portchester to a five- bedroom house complete with luxury swimming pool. Next on her list was her treasured S-Type Jaguar which she still drives today. But more important than that was helping out her family.
She said: 'I paid off my mum's mortgage which felt wonderful, and now the credit crunch has come along I know my mum will always be safe in her home.'
The Christmas hamper will be raffled off for Age Concern.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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