Hampshire man wins £3m villa in Spain after entering Omaze draw following the purchase of armchair

Graham Dunlop has never won anything in his 52 years but he has definitely made up for time after bagging a £3m villa in Mallorca. The 52-year-old was in desperate need for a new chair for his office at home when he stumbled across a brown leather armchair online. When he went to pick up the chair, the lady selling it refused any payment but asked that he make a donation to Alzheimer's Research UK - and that is exactly what he did - but he did not bargain for the outcome he received.

Graham said: "The reason I entered the draw is quite random really, I’d been after an armchair for my home office for a while and one popped up on Gumtree. I went to pick it up but when we arrived the woman refused to take any money for it. Instead, she asked that we put something towards an Alzheimer’s charity, as her late husband had dementia. So I made a donation to Alzheimer’s Research UK, then saw that they’d also partnered with Omaze, so I bought an entry to the Superdraw on top - I didn't give it a second thought and had totally forgotten I’d even entered. 

 “My wife didn’t like the look of my lucky chair at first, but of course she absolutely loves it now. You could say my £3 million prize cost me an armchair and a leg. I’ll bring the chair out here for sure, although it might look a bit odd next to the pool.”

Graham, originally from Edinburgh having moved to England 30 years ago, has been working in IT for the past 25 years and Amanda is a part-time primary school teacher. The couple have lived in their current 4-bedroom house near Southampton since 2014 and this win has changed their lives. The 52-year-old bought his winning entry fee for £75 and the property is a beautiful holiday retreat that comes with a main bedroom suite complete with en suite bathroom and dressing room – plus two additional guest bedrooms. The lower floor also provides another en suite bedroom with a roll top bath.

Graham added: "I’ve never won anything before - but this is worth waiting 52 years for! I’m not sure what we’re going to do long term yet - we’ll definitely be enjoying a few family holidays here - whatever we decide, this win is fantastic for our family’s future.

"This villa is simply stunning, I love the design of the place and the views are spectacular, I just can’t believe it's all ours - even if I jumped in the pool I don’t think it would sink in.

“We love Spain but never dreamed we’d ever own a place here - especially one like this! I might have to work on my Spanish a bit - although I can order a cerveza with no problems.

“I’ve got a large extended family that we’ve not seen for a while - I’m really looking forward to getting us all together out here.”

The Omaze draw raised a fantastic £3,100,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK in six weeks. Dementia is a leading cause of death in the UK with 74,000 lives taken as a result of the disease in 2022. Alzheimer’s Research UK is working to develop more and better therapies that will be necessary to shift the dial against the disease. Compared to other serious conditions, however, relatively few clinical trials are taking place in the UK. This means people with dementia in the UK are at risk of missing out on the chance to take part in life-changing research.

The £3,100,000 raised by the latest partnership with Omaze will support the charity’s Clinical Accelerator Programme, boosting clinical research for dementia across the UK and speeding up progress towards a cure.   

Hilary Evans, Chief Executive at Alzheimer’s Research UK said: “We’re delighted that Omaze, and all those who entered the Omaze Million Pound House Superdraw in Mallorca, have raised a phenomenal £3,100,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

 “Nearly a million people in the UK have dementia, and we urgently need to find more and better treatments so that we can take away the fear, harm and heartbreak that this devastating condition causes.

 “The vital funds raised will support our Clinical Accelerator Programme, which will boost clinical research taking place in the NHS and ultimately speed up progress towards a cure. This is an exciting step forward in our efforts to transform the lives of people affected by dementia."

For more information about future Omaze prize draws, click here.

For more information about Alzheimer’s Research UK, click here.