My £10 mansion
Grieving dad whose wife died of cancer wins £1m house with a charity raffle ticket
A WIDOWER grieving the loss of his wife to cancer has won a £1million house in a £10 charity draw.
Dad-of-three Ian Garrick, 56, has been struggling since wife Julie died from breast cancer nearly five years ago.
He and sons James, 30, Callum, 22, and Nathan, 19, were in desperate need of a fresh start as they tried to come to terms with life without her.
When he entered the competition, advertised on Facebook in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust, he never thought he was in with a chance of winning.
But now he has the chance to start rebuilding his life as the proud owner of the four-bedroom, 3,000sq ft house.
The civil servant from Mablethorpe,
Lincs, said: “We’ve basically been in limbo, the house has been falling down around us. We have just been trying to hold each other together.
“If I’m honest, we needed some sort of boost to carry on. My dream when entering the draw was to get away from here for a fresh start, and it’s happened. I still can’t get my head around it.
“It’s a new start for me, a new start for my sons, leaving some of the bad memories behind and starting again.”
His luxurious new home in Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester, comes complete with a home office and hot tub in the landscaped garden, four bathrooms, large living areas and a stateof-the-art kitchen. Ian said: “I’m not saying money is a cure for all problems but it will make life’s challenges positive ones.
“Everyone is over the moon for me, I’ve had messages from my close friends and colleagues saying, ‘ It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy’.
“A new house, new experience and a new train of thought for us all is exactly what we need.”
The prize draw was organised by fundraising company Omaze to help raise £1million for the
Teenage Cancer Trust over the next three years. TCT chief executive Kate Collins said the pandemic has cut the charity’s income by a third, leaving a £6million funding shortfall.
She said: “We launched an emergency fundraising appeal so we can protect our ability to provide vital specialist nursing and support across the UK.
“Partnering with Omaze has been a vital way for us to complement that appeal, and we’re delighted by the incredible outcome of the million pound house draw. The funds raised will help ensure our nurses and youth workers can continue providing exceptional care to young people with cancer when they need us the most.”
It’s a new start for us, leaving behind some bad memories
IAN GARRICK SAYS THE WIN WILL HELP HIS FAMILY