Fife scratchcard winner plans trip of a lifetime

Kerri Boyle (25) bought the £300,000 Bingo Purple Scratchcard as her usual payday treat along with her Lotto HotPicks Lucky Dip on August 26.

She couldn’t believe her luck when she scratched it to discover she’d be getting a bumper payday bonus and would finally be able to make her dream of visiting Australia a reality.

She said: “I just can’t believe it! I didn’t think something like this would ever happen to me. It’s so exciting; I mean I don’t even own a passport! The thought of finally being able to visit Australia is incredible. It’s beyond my wildest dreams.”

Speaking about how she discovered her win, she added: “I was popping round to my friend’s house and just quickly nipped into the Co-op to get my Scratchcard and Lucky Dip. I scratched it at her house and was in complete shock when I realised I’d won the top prize; I was just sitting there staring at the Scratchcard.

“I was convinced I was having a ‘blonde moment’ so my friend checked it and just screamed ‘you’ve won £300,000’. It was the most amazing feeling to hear those words; I burst out crying!

“I phoned my mum who made me send her a photo of the Scratchcard as proof because she didn’t believe me, and rushed home to see her. She was so happy for me; we were jumping around the living room together crying with happiness – it’s truly life changing for us.

“I was terrified of losing the Scratchcard and kept it under lock and key in a cash box. I still checked it every day though just to make sure it was still there.”

Speaking about what she plans to do with her winnings, Kerri commented: “As soon as I get my passport I’m heading off to Australia – it’s always been a dream of mine to visit and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate.

“I’d really like to buy my own place. I’ve been living with my mum and saving for a house for a while now; it’s hard to get onto the property ladder so this is going to be such a massive help.

“I think I’ll also learn how to drive and donate money to Autism Awareness UK – I’d really like to give back as much as I can.”

Kerri bought her winning Scratchcard from the Co-operative on Rannoch Road, Perth. The £300,000 Bingo Purple Scratchcard offers a 1 in 3.72 overall chance of winning a prize. The card costs £3. GameStore is the new home of Scratchcards and online Instant Win Games from The National Lottery, offering players many different and exciting ways to play and win life changing prizes.

The National Lottery changes the lives of winners like Kerri as well as communities across the UK – players raise, on average, over £36m for National Lottery-funded projects every week. In Fife alone there have been 2736 individual National Lottery grants made to date, funding projects across the arts, sports, heritage, health, education, environment, charity and voluntary sectors.