A grandmother who worked with homeless people for over 20 years is set to enjoy ‘the best Christmas‘ after winning a £2.5m home in an Omaze draw.
Jo Booth was ecstatic when told she had won an 18th-century Georgian country house in October, with the grandmother-of-two initially refusing to believe her luck.
The 61-year-old had taken a rare day off work and joked she thought staff from Omaze who knocked on her door were ‘burglars’.
But instead they delivered the life changing news that she had been gifted the six-bedroom mansion in Yorkshire, along with a £250,000 in cash.
It meant that Jo, who had lived a home in Dorset build by her husband Will Harrop for 15 years, would never to worry about money again.
And now the couple and their family are set to enjoy their first Christmas in their new home, with Jo saying she the move still hasn’t sunk in yet.
She said: ‘Even though we’re actually sitting here surrounded by our own things and the dog is running around, it still feels like we’re dreaming!
‘I love Christmas, so the first thing we did was get the decorations up – we got five trees this year! The second thing we did was get the wine fridge fully stocked!
Ahead of what no doubt will be a very festive season, Jo Booth has now decorated the home and with her husband, Will Harrop
The 61-year-old is now the proud owner of an 18-century Georgian country housing which has six-bedrooms, acres of garden and a spa pool
Mrs Booth said: ‘We’re going to have everyone up here for a mega Christmas party, it’s going to be a night to remember!’
‘We’re going to have everyone up here for a mega Christmas party, it’s going to be a night to remember!
‘Even bigger than the night we found out we’d won, we can fit a lot more people in this house for starters!
‘Yorkshire is so beautiful – we love it up here – everyone is so friendly and this house is just perfect for Christmas!
‘It’s going to be the best Christmas ever! We’ll be spoiling the grandchildren rotten this year.
‘I think my granddaughter will be expecting a pony now that we have our own stables!’
Mrs Booth joked that when Omaze came calling at her door to tell her she’d won, her first thought was that they ‘might be burglars!’
The two were enjoying a day on the green when she received the life changing phone call.
Ecstatic Jo said: ‘The day I found out I’d won, I’d actually skived off work to enjoy a rare afternoon playing golf with my husband.’
Mrs Booth said: ‘Yorkshire is so beautiful – we love it up here – everyone is so friendly and this house is just perfect for Christmas!’
Mrs Booth said: ‘Even though we’re actually sitting here surrounded by our own things and the dog is running around, it still feels like we’re dreaming!’
She bought her multi-million-pound winning entry for just £10 as part of her Omaze subscription
She has been married to husband Will Harrop, 51, for 17 years and the couple have lived in their 3-bedroom house in Dorset, which he built himself, for the past 15 years.
She worked with the homeless for almost 20 years, setting up a Community Interest Company (CIC) that works with local authorities to provide accommodation for people who are rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping.
Her husband and eldest son, Tony, also work for the CIC. Her big win means she can finally consider retirement, leaving Tony to continue her good work.
She also has another son, Dave, whose wife Ciara is on the board of directors of the CIC.
She bought her multi-million-pound winning entry for just £10 as part of her Omaze subscription.
The mother-of-two said: ‘This win means we’ll never have to worry about money ever again – it’s a dream come true.
‘Thanks to the £250k we also got as part of our win, we have options – we could afford to stay here for ten years if we decided to.
‘We’ll most likely sell up and bank the cash after we’ve enjoyed it over the festive break, as it would enable us to help all our children and grandchildren – it’s a generational legacy for our family.
As well as making the mother a multi-millionaire, the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Yorkshire, raised £3,900,000 for Mencap
The £2.5 million 18th century Georgian country house in Yorkshire also has a spa pool
The spacious property sits on acres of gardens perfect for walks and picnics
‘Whatever we decide to do, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to us!’
As well as making the mother a multi-millionaire, the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Yorkshire, raised £3,900,000 for Mencap – a charity that works with people with learning disabilities.
The partnership with Omaze was backed by actor, Dr Who star, and proud Yorkshire native, Jodie Whittaker, who said: ‘Wow, what a fantastic amount of money for Mencap, which is an absolutely brilliant cause.
‘I’m over the moon that this partnership will have such an impact for people with a learning disability.’
James Oakes, Chief International Officer at Omaze, said: ‘Everyone at Omaze is delighted that Jo won this beautiful house in Yorkshire and is looking forward to spending Christmas there.
‘Omaze offers people the chance to win amazing houses, like this incredible house in Yorkshire, whilst also introducing charities to large new audiences that would otherwise be out of reach – it’s a win-win for entrants and charities.
‘We’re immensely proud that the Omaze community has now raised over £67m for good causes across the UK.’
Entries for Omaze’s latest house draw are available now, with entry closing on Boxing Day online and New Year’s Day for postal submissions.
