“It feels amazing! I’m so grateful,” says Lesley Brown who lives in Ventnor and is the latest winner of £10,000 on the Isle of Wight Lottery. Lesley moved to the Island in 2015 and has been playing the Isle of Wight Lottery ever since.
“I’ve been playing for three years so I reckon I’ve got a £10,000 return on an investment of £150! Joining the Isle of Wight Lottery was one of the first things I did when I moved here. I’m a big supporter of local things and I only shop locally. The Isle of Wight Lottery appealed to me massively because it’s all about locality – local jobs and helping people. It’s the only lottery that I play.”
Lesley has converted the lower ground floor of her home into holiday accommodation. Much of her £10,000 windfall will be invested in her business.
“The £10,000 will make a massive difference. It buys a lot of peace of mind. It will wipe-out a loan that I took out to renovate my cottage. It’s been a very long project. I see it as a beautiful circle – my guests come from the mainland and spend money here on the Island with local businesses.”
Lesley’s holiday guests are welcomed with a selection of local produce that includes food, drink and also an Isle of Wight Lottery scratchcard.
“My guests love the scratchcards and we’ve had plenty of winners. They’re a great start to a holiday,” Lesley says.
The celebrations continue too. Lesley’s also going to put some of the money towards her 50th birthday party which is being held at the Ventnor Winter Gardens next year.
The Isle of Wight Lottery is the only local lottery that creates Island jobs and supports local businesses. Since its inception in 2001 the lottery has paid out more than £2million in prize money and created nearly 400 jobs as a result of loans to Island businesses. More than 2,000 jobs have been sustained by the support of the Isle of Wight Lottery.
