IT WAS the luckiest direct debit Craig Hall had ever set up.
Thinking it would be a good way to support charitable causes, Craig decided to join the People’s Postcode Lottery.
And after only 16 months, he hit the jackpot with a £30,000 win last weekend.
Craig lives in Rowanburn with his partner, Vicki, and their five children. His parents Nigel and Ann farm nearby.
Craig said: “It’s sinking in slowly. I was very shocked. I never expected that. I never expected anything at all like that so I’m very pleased we won it.”
He added: “One Saturday night I was sat on the couch having a cup of tea and watching the advert and thought, I’m going to do that.
“They raise money for good causes so I set up a direct debit and it came up with a big win.”
Craig has been getting congratulations all round. No-one knew of anyone locally having won it and they were glad to see him hit the jackpot.
He is an HGV driver and divides his time between hauling timber and working on the family farm.
He is busy driving at the moment but will soon turn his attention to lambing to keep his hand in on the farm.
Craig and Vicki are now thinking of going on a holiday of a lifetime with the family.
He said: “Maybe we will go to Australia next year to visit my brother in Perth. We’ll always remember it and so will the kids.
“They’re being quite quiet about it. I think they are in shock, too. They can’t believe it.
“The last year has been a very hard time for everyone, especially children who are missing school and being with their friends. They’re missing out on so much.”
Normally, representatives from the lottery would hand over a cheque to the winner at their home but this wasn’t possible because of the pandemic.
Instead, they did a Zoom call with Craig and will post a cheque as a keepsake.
Craig said he would carry on taking part in the lottery because of its support for charities.
He added: “I would advise anyone to play it. Everyone has the same chance.”
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