By Sheila Mckenzie-
Lottery winners Terri Picton-Clark, 69, and her husband John, 67, have used part of their £1 million (€1.14 million) winnings to provide support children home schooling during the UK’s Covid lockdown.
The pair who have very generously used part of their £1 million (€1.14 million) winnings to help support children home schooling during the UK’s Covid lockdown.
However, the big winners have not put out a substantial amount of cash to help pupils lacking in a laptop, but have helped children of their friends. Exactly how much they have dished out in supporting friends in need of a laptop has not been revealed, but it is not believed to be anything major.
The jubilant winners enjoyed five bottles of champagne and a victory dance around their living room after buying a £2 lucky dip ticket at a petrol station in Lutterworth.
Sixty-nine year-old Theresa – known as Terri – and John, 67, were on their way to look at a new kitchen when they stopped at the Walcote Service Station, in Lutterworth Road,
Their support for school pupils in the UK comes in the wake of their realisation that lots of UK underprivileged children are experiencing set backs in their academic development due to severe lockdown restrictions that led to the closure of all schools in the UK. At the moment, only children of key workers are allowed to physically attend school.
The lottery winners spoke about their plans to help children, and Terri told one publication: “We’ve helped friends who are home-schooling their children ” we bought another laptop for them to make things a little easier and we also bought one for my grandchild to help my son.
“To be able to tell friends who have always been there for you that you can help them feels amazing.”
Speaking about other ways the lottery winners have been able to help their community, Terri added: “John gave the shop assistant at the garage who sold him the ticket £100 and said to her, ‘make sure you don’t do anything sensible with the money’.”
The couple said the win came at a good time after they had struggled financially.
Terri said: “It turned out to be one of those days, I was trying to get 0% interest for the kitchen we wanted and the bank was being difficult, and I ended up just crying in despair. John said to me, ‘you never know we might win the lottery’, to which I replied with ‘oh, you always say that!’.
“On Monday, whilst John was out, he popped in to the shop to check the ticket and the cashier said, ‘you are going to have to call Camelot, you’ve won too much money.’
“I was working on a Zoom call when John came in waving the ticket about, and I mouthed to him ‘what are you doing?’ but continued the call, ignoring him.
“Once I’d finished the work call I found out exactly what was up with him. We called Camelot and John said to me, ‘if it is what I think it is, I’ve already spent it.’
“We were thinking it was around £50,000 and when Camelot confirmed it was £1,000,000, John was very calm (as usual) and I was the one jumping up and down!”
Given the publicity of their support for friends, some critics have called for them to contribute a sizeable amount to help pupils in need if they want any real credit for their deeds.
”Out of a £1m lottery win , supporting a few friends is not something to shout home about, one critic anonymously told The Eye Of Media.Com.
The actions of the lottery winners is good, but not an amount to be celebrated as far as generosity is concerned.
Lottery winners Frances Connolly and husband Patrick, gave away half of their £114.9m jackpot winner.