Your Hospice Lottery player scoops £10,000 maximum rollover jackpot

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release

11th December 2017

Your Hospice Lottery player scoops £10,000 maximum rollover jackpot

Christmas has come early for the lucky winner of the £10,000 rollover jackpot in the Your Hospice Lottery draw which raises vital funds for St Helena Hospice, and 9 other hospice partners.

Mrs Michelle Macrae of Manningtree has been playing the lottery for over five years and was delighted to have won this top prize unexpectedly in the 1^st December draw.

She said: “I’m still completely in shock from last week when I got the call to say I had won. I had no idea the rollover had been going for so long. The money I have been donating every month since 2012 is just part of my monthly outgoings; I never envisaged winning that amount of money, and what a perfect time of year to win £10,000 – it’s amazing!”

Michelle, along with her mother and 2 year old son were welcomed by the lottery team and Mark Jarman-Howe, CEO of St Helena Hospice to be presented with her cheque at Myland Hall, the home of St Helena Hospice. She explained how she is looking forward to spending her winnings on a little pampering and would like to put some money aside to take her son to Lapland when he’s a little older.

Michelle first joined Your Hospice Lottery following a conversation with a fundraiser, recalls: “When a small charity is on your doorstep I think you should support them if you can in any way shape or form. I would say to anyone who gets to know about the lottery, just go for it and sign up. It’s just a small amount to give and makes such a massive difference. You’ve got to be in it to win it!”

Alex Howe, Head of Lottery, adds: “Many congratulations to Michelle on scooping this epic jackpot prize and I hope it will make your Christmas this year extra special. Thank you for your continued support in playing the lottery for St Helena Hospice, your membership really does make all the difference to patients and their families in need of hospice care. This is a really special win for Your Hospice Lottery as it is the highest ever jackpot prize given away in the history of the draw.”

Your Hospice Lottery has raised over £8million for hospice care since it started in 2001, helping to fund specialist palliative care services making every moment count for patients and their families. There are currently over 52,000 players in the draw in support of their chosen charity (St Helena Hospice, Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, Cransley Hospice, Cynthia Spencer Hospice, The J’s Hospice, Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, Salisbury Hospice, St Helena Hospice, Friends of the Wisdom Hospice, KEMP Hospice and John Taylor Hospice).

A whopping £1,186,785 has been paid out in prize money so far to Your Hospice Lottery players!

The draw usually takes place on a Friday with 136 guaranteed prizes every week from £10 to £1,000. Now the rollover jackpot is won, it goes back to £250 and if not won increases each week by £250 up to a maximum of £10,000, at which point it must be won, like in the case of Mrs Macrae.

For more information about Your Hospice Lottery and to pay online by direct debit or credit/debit card visit www.yourhospicelottery.org.uk/st-helena-hospice or telephone 0800 285 1390. It costs just £1 per play per week to join. Lottery players must be 16 or over.

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Photographs:

• 1)Michelle Macrae receiving cheque from Mark Jarman-Howe, CEO of St Helena Hospice
• 2)(L-R): Michelle Macrae, Sally Thomas, Lottery Marketing Manager and Mark Jarman-Howe, CEO of St Helena Hospice
• 3)Michelle Macrae with winner prop
• 4)Michelle Macrae with ‘I play Your Hospice Lottery because…’ sign

Press information

St Helena Hospice Marketing and Communications Office
t: 01206 931464 e: marketing@sthelenahospice.org.uk

NOTES TO EDITOR

About Your Hospice Lottery:

Your Hospice Lottery is wholly owned by St Helena Hospice and is working with other hospices to raise funds to support people in need of hospice services. The Lottery costs players £1 per play per week and players can select which hospice to support with their membership.

Around 52,000 numbers are entered into the Your Hospice Lottery weekly draw, with each number supporting the players chosen Hospice. Hospice partners are Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, Cynthia Spencer Hospice or Cransley Hospice both in Northamptonshire, KEMP Hospice in Kidderminster, John Taylor Hospice in Birmingham, Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice in North London, Salisbury Hospice Charity in Wiltshire, St Helena Hospice in North East Essex, The Friends of the Wisdom Hospice in Rochester and The J’s Hospice for young adults across Essex, All profit minus administration costs goes to the chosen supported Hospice. St Helena Hospice also receives a small income from each membership for administering the lottery

Promoter: St Helena Hospice trading as Your Hospice Lottery. Your Hospice Lottery is regulated and licensed by the Gambling Commission under the Gambling Act 2005 (number 000-004685-N-306842-006) https://www.begambleaware.org. Lottery members must be 16 or over and a full set of terms and conditions are available online at www.yourhospicelottery.org.uk or from the Your Hospice Lottery office by telephone 0800 285 1390. St Helena Hospice is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England and Wales number 01511841. Registered Charity Number 280919. Registered Office: Myland Hall, Barncroft Close, Highwoods, Colchester, CO4 9JU

About St Helena Hospice:

St Helena Hospice was established in 1985 and provides specialist palliative care services for patients and their families living in North East Essex and parts of Mid Essex who have progressive, life-limiting illness. The emphasis for this charity is about quality of life and services include Community Services, Therapies and Wellbeing, an Inpatient Unit, Clinical Nurse Specialists, medical services, family support, psychological therapies, spiritual support, physiotherapy and occupational therapy, as well as complementary therapies such as acupuncture, reflexology, massage and Shiatsu. Each year the hospice raises a considerable sum from the local community to maintain the specialist care offered.

Your Hospice Lottery is proud to support 10 hospices with our fundraising lottery: