A MILLIONAIRE couple who won their loot in the lottery decided to give most of it away – so much so that they still check sock prices.
Ray Wragg, now 86, alongside his late wife Barbara, won the National Lottery back in Sheffield in January 2000, but how they spent their £7.6million is even more remarkable.
Their nearly two-decade spending spree saw them transform into local Sheffield philanthropists, and their generosity even took them to Buckingham Palace.
At the time, Ray had no idea what to do with the news, but his first decision was to practically quit his job as a roofer, which forced him to commute four hours away.
Recounting that magical moment, Ray said: “I retired that Saturday night in some respects.
“I didn’t know what to say but I’d never have said ‘stuff your job’ or anything like that. I’m not that kind of person.”
After spending some of the winnings on a £52,000 white Range Rover and a cruise, the couple decided to do something a bit more charitable.
Over the next two decades, they gave most of the money away to charities.
Speaking on it now, Ray said the winnings changed their lives but not who they are as people.
The winner said: “I was working, Barbara was working, the kids were working. We were all right.
“Like other families do, we saved up. It changed our lives but not us as persons.
“We’ve had a fantastic time and helped a lot of people.
“That’s stood us in good stead. I still look at the price of a pair of socks you know!”
One of their first major donations was a new bladder scanner for Sheffield Hallamshire Hospital.
This was along with the further gifting of funds to Weston Park Hospital where their daughter had been previously treated for Ewing’s sarcoma.
They gave £12,000 to allow World War Two veterans to return to Monte Cassino in Italy in 2004.
Some other notable beneficiaries included Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, the Make a Wish Foundation, Whirlow Hall Farm Trust, the Meningitis Trust and Help The Aged.
Tickets for the National Lottery can be bought online and in stores, but the path to winning millions isn’t easy.
Players have to pick six numbers from 1-59, or can select a lucky dip option to have the numbers given to them.
A Bonus Ball is also drawn in Lotto but the player does not select a Bonus Ball when you play, as the aim is to match it with one of the six numbers you do pick.
There are two Lotto draws a week – one on Saturday at 7.45pm and one on Wednesday at 8.00pm.
If you are playing online, you just need to select the relevant day. If you take out a subscription you’ll play the draws you specified every week until the subscription ends.
Players need to specify how many weeks in advance you want to play, up to a maximum of four.
It is therefore possible to enter up to eight consecutive draws if you play on both Wednesday and Saturday.
Then all that’s left is to pay for the ticket, and it costs £2 to play.
Other philanthropic deeds included the purchasing of 30 television sets for local hospices so that each child could watch TV in bed.
Another time, Barbara wrote the Royal Hallamshire Hospital’s breast clinic a £5,000 cheque on a whim when she spotted a donations jar in the reception area.
In 2002, they received a special trophy from Camelot, as well as invitations to Buckingham Palace and the Pride of Britain awards.
They met several celebs, too, including Richard Branson, Princess Diana‘s former butler and the Coronation Street cast.
Barbara passed away from sepsis in 2018 at the age of 77.
She had previously stated that their winnings were “too much for two people”.
