Set For Life Winner To Chase His Dreams After Going Public
Last Updated: Wednesday 23rd September 2020, 13:51
A young man from Peterborough has been revealed to be the latest big winner of the National Lottery’s new Set For Life game. Dean Weymes, an aspiring script writer, will receive £10,000 every month for the next 30 years and fully intends to make the most of his good fortune.
Weymes won the stunning prize after matching all five main numbers and the Life Ball in the Set For Life draw on Monday 29th July. He quickly came forward to claim his prize and has now decided to go public rather than stay anonymous.
Dean says that having a guaranteed income every month for the next three decades will mean that he is ‘worry free’ forever, adding: “It is just incredible. I am 24 and I am now literally set for life. Getting £10k every month allows me to start working through my bucket list.”
At the top of his bucket list is a hot air balloon ride and a tandem skydive, while he already has a family trip booked for Disneyland Paris. He currently lives with his sister Sarah, who introduced him to Set For Life, and will now be in a position to put down a deposit for a home of his own.
He has quit his job as part of the transport team with Amazon and is now looking forward to pursuing another career path more closely linked to his love of film and theatre. He explained: “I have always wanted to fulfil my dream to become a script writer and this now allows me the freedom to do it. I didn’t have to give it a second thought - I quit my current role so I can begin to work on the job I have always wanted.”
Dean, who played Set For Life online, added: “Everything still seems quite unreal – the news really is still sinking in. I cannot actually believe that I am really going to be able to do these things – and do them right now.”
Why Set For Life Is Different To Other Games
Set For Life was launched as a new game which would offer a twist on traditional lotteries. Instead of giving away big one-off jackpots like Lotto and EuroMillions, winners receive prizes as an annuity over a longer period of time. The top prize is £10,000 every month for 30 years, while the second prize is £10,000 a month for one year.
The game was designed to try and capture new fans and was aimed primarily at younger players such as Dean. Unlike other jackpots which can be spent all at once, there is a security in Set For Life of knowing that you will keep getting regular payments for the duration of your 30-year winning period.
There have already been a number of big winners since Set For Life started in March 2019, with a Super Chance draw in May creating the first two winners of £10,000 a month for 30 years. In this special draw, winners who matched five main numbers were guaranteed the top prize even if they didn’t match the Life Ball.
An online player from Stirlingshire in Scotland became the first participant to match all the numbers in June, and now Dean has become the first big winner to go public. There are sure to be more winners to follow in the coming weeks and months, opening up opportunities for the next 30 years.