Huddersfield Mum Thanks National Lottery After Charity Work Honoured
Last Updated: Tuesday 5th June 2018, 09:55
A Yorkshire mum has paid tribute to the National Lottery after her good work in helping families with seriously ill children was highlighted over the weekend.
Ali Waterworth, from Linthwaite near Huddersfield, was featured in the National Lottery’s Big Surprise on Saturday night, as part of ITV’s primetime Lotto results show. The Big Surprise is a new segment which recognises and honours some of those people who have gone out of their way to help others.
Waterworth was filmed in a restaurant full of people who owed her a debt of gratitude - most of whom she had never met - and she could not believe it when a TV crew appeared to tell her that everyone had turned up to thank her.
Ali set up Ruddi’s Retreat, a caravan park in Filey, after her son was ill as a baby, and has gone on to make a difference to the lives of many families over the past few years. A National Lottery grant of £9,986 was first given to the retreat in July 2013 to provide additional support and caravan equipment, before another £5,400 donation helped to improve outdoor space by creating a sensory area.
“I just can’t put into words how I felt. It was just amazing – a real mix of emotions and I just couldn’t stop crying. It was just incredible to see so many people turning out for me. I could not believe it,” said Ali, whose son Ruddi is now nine. He suffered from a rare form of cancer and was recently a guest at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Ali added: “I cannot thank the National Lottery enough. It has literally been a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me – and something I will never, ever forget. I now hope to go on and help even more people.”
The National Lottery has raised over £37 billion for good causes since it was launched in 1994, with 28p from every £1 spent on games going to help worthy projects in a variety of different categories. Grants are distributed to thousands of organisations across the UK, in the fields of heritage, sports, arts, and health, education, environment and charitable causes.
EuroMillions Jackpot Won
You are helping to raise money for good causes every time you buy a ticket, even if you miss out on a big prize. Of course, it could just be that you strike it lucky and win the jackpot, just like a couple of EuroMillions players in the most recent draw on Friday 1st June.
A top prize of almost £70 million was up for grabs after a sequence of six rollovers, and tickets bought in Spain and Portugal matched the full winning line to pocket half of the money each. Over 500,000 UK players also won prizes, including two participants who won £1 million each in the Millionaire Maker. Visit the EuroMillions Results section to find a full breakdown.
The EuroMillions jackpot will reset to £14 million for the next draw, while there will also be £6.4 million on offer in Wednesday’s Lotto. Go to any authorised retailer to take part, or join an online syndicate. Good luck!