‘I’m a Birmingham dinner lady & I’ve just won a seafront home worth £3m in Cornwall’

A Birmingham dinner lady has won a whopping £3 million coastal home in a prize draw.

Rose Doyle, 73, won the keys to a five-bedroom house in Cornwall as part of a draw that raised £3.1 million for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

The gran-of-four from Birmingham is now the proud owner of a coastal retreat and £100,000 in cash - as she won the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw. The luxurious property, which comes mortgage free and with all legal fees covered, is complete with a hot tub and panoramic views of the surrounding Cornish countryside.

Rose said: “When they confirmed the prize I was an emotional wreck! This win is life changing for us - it’s fantastic for our family’s future - they won’t have to struggle as much as we had to. I’ve been an Omaze subscriber for a while and to be honest, because I know I’ve entered every draw automatically, I don’t keep track of all the houses each time, so had no clue what we’d won at first. 

“We thought maybe it was a little holiday to Cornwall or a few hundred pounds - we didn’t think for one minute that we’d won a £3 million pound house there - things like this just don’t happen to people like us."

Rose, who retired from her job as a sales assistant at an insurance resale company after 17 years, also had a second job as a dinner lady at a local primary school. Her husband, Tony, has worked as a Gas Engineer for the past 25 years - but is now seriously considering an earlier retirement after their big win.

Rose said the news was celebrated across the local community: “All our neighbours came out into the street to say congratulations - they were all so happy for us - they know how much this win means to our family.

“After everyone had left, we had a couple of large brandies to calm our nerves, the whole thing still feels like a dream - we keep expecting someone to wake us up any moment.”

Rose and Tony, who have been together for 46 years, have lived in the same three-bedroom house in Birmingham for 44 years. They have two children - a daughter, 51, and son, 49, and four grandchildren - two of which Blake, 16 and Rosie, 14, are currently living with them.

Rose says the new house "is absolutely gorgeous" and she will "never get bored of walking onto the balcony and taking in these stunning views." She said: “We’ve been to Cornwall once before back in the eighties for a family holiday - we never imagined we’d own a £3 million mansion here one day, I just can’t comprehend it.”

"My sister Moreen just bought a caravan in Brean, but I think this just about tops that! We’ve got a large extended family, so we’re going to be very popular this summer, the phone won’t stop ringing as they’ll all be wanting to book their holidays down here.”

When speaking about their plans with the prize, Rose explained: “I’m not sure what we’re going to do long term yet - we’ll definitely enjoy it as a family for a bit - whatever we decide to do, it's going to change all our lives for the better - it’s a true miracle.” 

The family's new home is located just a few minutes away from St Agnes beach and sits in an elevated position that offers breathtaking views of the idyllic village, as well as one of Cornwall’s famous historical Engine Houses.

With a private driveway leading to a landscaped courtyard with ample parking - all framed by trees and nature-filled gardens - the house itself is an outstanding example of modern architecture. The home is fit with a spacious entrance hall, with natural stone floor and a vaulted ceiling, a large open plan kitchen, dining and family area with herringbone oak floors throughout.

The ground floor also has two double bedrooms and a bathroom with a free-standing bath and a large separate shower - as well as a boot room and a utility room. The first floor, which is accessed via a grand granite staircase, has three bedrooms - the main bedroom with en-suite has stunning views over St Agnes and access to a rear balcony with more beautiful views.

Additionally, there is a garden/studio room, a multipurpose space suitable for a home office, with a window looking up to the house. The front of the house has a stone terrace and the gardens have been landscaped beautifully. The home is in the perfect setting for Rose to enjoy a relaxed coastal lifestyle, surrounded by natural beauty. 

As well as making Rose a multi-millionaire, the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Cornwall, raised £3.1 million for WWF - the world’s leading independent conservation organisation who are working to conserve endangered species, protect and restore habitats, and address global threats to the planet such as climate change, the food system and deforestation.  

WWF works tirelessly with communities, governments, scientists, supporters and business leaders to stop the destruction of nature, secure a safe climate and bring our world back to life. WWF is working to restore the homes of marine wildlife and carbon stores around our UK coastline through their work with local communities on seaweed farming and seagrass planting. 

Seaweed farming is an important part of the solution to the climate crisis which also supports local communities and secures livelihoods. Growing seaweed to feed livestock could one day help reduce deforestation and land conversion for pastures and crop fields, which is currently responsible for 25% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. 

Ensuring the UK government tackles the nature and climate crisis alongside food production is also a major priority for WWF, as well as empowering young people and teachers to take action for nature and climate. 

The funding from the Omaze partnership will help expand the organisation’s youth ambassadors programme to get more young people involved in decision making around restoring nature. 

Tanya Steele, CEO at WWF said: “At such a crucial time for our planet, we’re thrilled and so grateful to Omaze and to everyone who entered the Omaze Million Pound House draw in Cornwall, who have raised a phenomenal £3.1 million for WWF. The money raised through this draw will go towards our vital work protecting wildlife and restoring nature, both on our doorsteps in the UK and around the world. Thank you Omaze, and to everyone who entered. This partnership will help us considerably in our fight to bring our world back to life.”

How to enter the Omaze Million Pound House Draw

Draw entries for the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Cheshire are available now at omaze.co.uk. The draw closes on Sunday 28th April for online entries and Tuesday 30th April 2024 for postal entries. 

Entrants can also choose to subscribe to Omaze to be automatically entered into every Grand Prize and Early Bird Prize, each month.  Omaze subscribers receive double the amount of entries compared to non-subscribers and can cancel their subscription at any time. 

When Omaze has two draws running simultaneously, subscribers are entered into both, with a £10 subscription providing 30 entries into both house draws - meaning 60 entries in total for just £10. For full terms and conditions, see: Omaze.co.uk. No purchase necessary to enter. Over 18s and UK residents only.