Couple win £3m Lake Windermere dream home for just £20

New Cross Hospital worker Catherine Carwardine, 59, won the Million Pound House Draw competition after purchasing the ticket on Valentine's Day and at the same time helped to raise £1m for Alzhemier's Research UK.

Catherine, who has been working for the NHS for 40 years as a nurse and more recently in an IT role, and husband Chris, 59, are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary this year.

The couple – both originally from Wolverhampton - have also been fostering children at their current home in Telford for the past five years.

Catherine bought her winning entry on Valentine’s Day, using a promo code to give her 120 entries for just £20. As well as winning the house she has won £20,000 in cash.

The lucky winners found out they’d scooped the main prize whilst they were on holiday in Italy, after the team from draw organisers Omaze paid a surprise visit to their front door, only to be greeted by their daughter.

The team had to video call Catherine and Chris, who initially thought it was an elaborate hoax, as was April 1.

The fully furnished house in Windermere boasts a terrace with breath-taking views of the lake itself, cosy log fires, a cinema room, sauna, steam room, state-of-the-art gym, staggered gardens and a workshop.

Catherine said: “At first, we didn’t believe it as it was April’s Fools’ Day. We thought the kids were playing a prank on us, but then we realised we actually had won and were totally gobsmacked.

"We didn’t know how to celebrate as we were both in shock, I don’t think either of us slept a wink that night!

“When we got back from holiday the children greeted us on the driveway with champagne spraying everywhere, we felt like F1 drivers.

“Now we’ve seen the house we’re still pinching ourselves, it’s absolutely perfect and already feels like home. We’re definitely going to keep it and can’t wait to move in.

“We will rent it out to generate some extra income so we can help all our children and pay off our mortgage faster.

"We can even finish our current house, which has been a work in progress for years. We love this new house so much though we don’t want to rent it out too often.

“All the children are now busy planning the rest of our lives, they’ve never been so interested in us. I’ve worked for the NHS for 40 years and even though winning this prize is so life changing,

"I love my job and will keep on working for the foreseeable future.

She added: “We support a lot of charities and have friends who have had family impacted by dementia.

"The partnership between Omaze and Alzheimer’s Research UK is fantastic as it’s raising money to help the charity continue its incredible work.”