The people who
VISITING EUGENE DIAMOND’S SHOP HAS PROVED LUCKY FOR SOME OF HIS LOYAL CUSTOMERS
all dream about what we’d do if we landed a National Lottery jackpot. Perhaps take that holiday of a lifetime, move home, or even give a lifeline to a charity close to our heart.
The National Lottery has been changing the lives of winners across the UK since 1994, and over the past 26 years it’s created over 5,900 millionaires. But it’s also helped people whose lucky numbers haven’t yet come up.
Across the UK there are 44,000 retailers selling National Lottery products, and whose businesses have been given a huge boost by selling tickets and scratchcards. They help to create excitement in their stores, bringing a buzz to the community ahead of a big draw, and increasing footfall and sales. Then there’s the thrill of celebrating if someone local wins big!
That’s why Camelot is proudly sponsoring the Brilliantly British campaign, which has been launched to get us all pulling together, buying British products and supporting our British retailers – such as shop keeper Eugene Diamond.
Eugene was only 22 when he opened his traditional newsa gent’s shop in Ballymena, Co Antrim, back in 1979.
‘Being a National Lottery retailer has undoubtedly been a major asset for my business’
ESTABLISHED
Now 63, both he and his shop have become firmly established as pillars of the local community.
“The shop is my life – it’s who I am,” says Eugene. “When I was a kid, I used to have a Sunday newspaper round, and I would also help out in the local newsagent’s – I loved it.
“After leaving school I went to work in a menswear shop where I was manager for a while, before setting up Diamond’s Newsagent.
“Ever since then I’ve always remained open seven days a week, except for two months at the start of lockdown when I did reluctantly close – but only because, as a dia
betic, I was in the high risk category. I reopened as soon as I thought it was safe to do so.
“It has a traditional cornershop atmosphere – the sort of place where regular customers drop in to buy lottery tickets and scratchcards along with their newspapers and magazines, often stopping for a chat.
“I signed up as a retailer for the National Lottery within three months of it being launched, and it has undoubtedly been a major asset for my business, bringing more people into the shop.”
But there are other ways in which The National Lottery helps people in local communities too. Everyone who has ever bought a ticket has contributed to the £42billion the National Lottery has given to good causes since the first draw more than two and a half decades ago.
“We’ve been officially credited with selling tickets that have raised more than £1million for good causes,” says Eugene.
“And a number of our customers have had substantial wins too.”