Western Morning News (Saturday)
Grandad wins ‘marvellous’ Marbella villa
ALUCKY Devon grandfather has won the keys to a multimillion-pound dream villa in Spain as part of a charity prize draw.
Fifty-seven-year-old Mark won the first-ever Omaze Million Pound House “Superdraw” for a stunning three-story, four-bedroom luxury villa in the holiday hotspot of Marbella.
He has also been given £250,000 in cash – plus the villa comes mortgage free, with all stamp duty and legal fees covered.
Mark, who is originally from Wigan and has been working as a legal consultant for more than 25 years, and his wife of 22 years, Deborah, who works as a bereavement counsellor and wellness coach, have lived in their current family home in Devon since 2019 with two rescue dogs – Deerhound x Lurcher Asterix and Wheaten terrier Luna – and Dillan the cat, also rescued.
Mark, who bought his £2,000,000 winning entry for just £25, is looking forward to visiting the villa with his family and can’t wait to spend time in the pool with his grandson.
A stunned Mark said: “I couldn’t believe it when Omaze called me to say I’d won the grand prize, I was out of the country with work so called my wife straightaway – she was even more flabbergasted than I was as she had no idea I’d even entered!
“You never imagine you’ll end up winning, but even if you don’t win anything, you’re still helping a really good cause – such as Teenage Cancer Trust.
“I’d never won so much as a church raffle before, so this is truly mindboggling. This win is lifechanging for the whole family, the £250,000 cash provides peace of mind in these challenging times – I’m still pinching myself.
“The villa looks absolutely marvellous, I’m not sure what we’ll do with it yet – we’ll probably keep it for a couple of years so we can enjoy family holidays there, I’ll be dusting off my trunks as soon as I’m back! I went to Spain 20 years ago for work, but have never been to Marbella – it looks lovely – I’ll have to brush up on my Spanish, but I do know how to order a cerveza!”
Located on Marbella’s famous Golden Mile, the villa will provide an idyllic holiday retreat for Mark and his family.
The draw was the second time the
Teenage Cancer Trust has partnered with Omaze. They were the fundraising platform’s first charity partner when it launched in the UK in 2020, with that campaign raising £250,000.
Paul McKenzie, director of engagement at the Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “The £800,000 raised is truly staggering and we can’t thank Omaze and its community enough!