A Birmingham man is celebrating after winning a ‘life-changing’ sum of money in a raffle that also raised more than £43,000 for Alzheimer’s Society.
Web developer, Eli Stone, won £200,000 in the prize draw organised by Martin and Sue Stephenson – and says it will enable him to move from a flat into a house. The draw had been set up by the couple as an alternative to putting their stunning £700,000 property in Snowdonia, Wales, on the market.
They needed to sell 330,000 raffle tickets to be able to give the 150-year-old converted chapel, Capel Jerusalem, and the adjoining Jerusalem Vestry as the prize. And although they did not achieve their target, they raised enough to make the huge cash prize and charity donation possible.
Eli, 28, said: “When Sue phoned to say I was the winner I was stunned – I honestly don’t feel like the news has sunk in yet. It’s a life-changing sum of money that will make a huge difference to me. I’ve been living in a flat for years, but this money means I can now start looking at houses.”
Renovating the building was a labour of love for Martin and Sue, but they decided the time was right to move back to their native Yorkshire to be closer to Martin’s parents. They chose Alzheimer’s Society as the beneficiary of the prize draw because Martin’s dad Ronald, 88, of Sheffield, has dementia. And despite not hitting their target for ticket sales, they have no regrets.
Sue, 53, a former marketing consultant, said: “It has been an amazing journey. The prize draw didn’t quite work out as we expected, but we are delighted we’ve been able to give Alzheimer’s Society a donation of more than £43K.”
“Working so closely with Alzheimer’s Society has opened our eyes to the number of families affected by this devastating disease. Raising awareness and letting people know that they are not alone has been as important to us as raising funds for the charity. We are already thinking of more fundraising ideas for the future. And, of course, we are delighted for Eli, the prize draw winner, and wish him every happiness for the future.”
Chris Manley, Alzheimer’s Society Philanthropy Manager, said: “We can’t thank Martin and Sue enough for what they have achieved – to have raised more than £43K for us is quite simply remarkable.
“What’s even more incredible, given the amount of hard work they’ve put into this campaign, is that they’re not done yet. We rely heavily on the goodwill of fundraisers to enable us to support people living with dementia, campaign on their behalf and fund research.
“Coronavirus has shattered the lives of so many people with the condition. They have been the worst hit by the pandemic and need our support now more than ever. People like Martin and Sue are helping to make that possible.”
The two luxury homes are now for sale.