Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice raffle winners take to the ocean waves

Brian Davies didn’t believe the caller ringing to tell him he’d won £2,500 in the North Anston hospice ’s popular yearly raffle - and rang the charity back to double-check.

“I was totally gobsmacked to hear it was true. When I put those raffle tickets in a drawer, my only thought was that I must remember to put them in the bin after Christmas,” said the Cantley 71-year-old.

“I’ve rarely won anything in my life and thought I just wasn’t a lucky person. Now I’ve changed my view.”

Brian and wife Janet put the cash towards their first holiday abroad since 2019.

“It’s made a big dent in the cost. We head off in the spring and are really looking forward to it as the pandemic put holidays on hold for us,” said Brian, who worked for Hellaby’s History and Heraldry Group before retiring.

He is a regular player of the hospice’s lottery. “I’ve contributed by direct debit every month for three years. I’ve never won anything, but I don’t mind though because it’s an important local charity to support,” he commented. “ I know hospices get no government support and we as a population can’t do without them.”

The December to Remember 2022 raffle was sponsored by Sheffield’s Global Windows.