We’ve all probably asked ourselves at some point what we would do if we won the lottery, or to be more specific, won the jackpot with EuroMillions. According to Guardian Voices – a nationally representative sample of Guardian readers across the UK – 41% of respondents dream about winning a life-changing amount somewhere between every day and once a week. At 64%, “helping my loved ones” was what got our readers most excited at the prospect. But what else would they spend their money on? One thing is for sure: for all of them, there would be signs they’d won.
Good causes
An altruistic 34% of readers would be most excited to support charities. “Most of my winnings would go to support various social and community activities,” said Guardian reader one – who would also “set up a charity to buy up some of the empty properties in my area” and then “let them out at a reasonable rent”.
Alongside this, they’d donate money to canal charities to “improve the canal network and local businesses” and they’d share some of their winnings with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra “to help their outreach work and to support local children to play a musical instrument”. And, sticking very much to the altruistic theme, they say that other causes they would support include dog rescue charities and the development of local youth support work.
“I might be tempted to subsidise the opera,” said Guardian reader two, “so that those with an interest but without the means might see performances in the great opera venues as I’ve been lucky to do”.
With an eye on water safety, Guardian reader three said that they would buy a lifeboat for the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution). Another reader reveals a benevolent family agreement that was made 30 years ago: that a local hospice would get “the first million” of any EuroMillions windfall.
Get busy!
For many readers, the sign they’d hit the EuroMillions jackpot would be that they were getting busy with something new. “I would buy an old farmhouse”, said Guardian reader four, and decorate it with a “beautiful gothic interior, bathroom, kitchen and bedroom”. Once it was all set up and ready, they’d adopt “a few goats, chickens and a few cats” and move in.
Sometimes, the signs would be that they’d become both more and less busy: for example, Guardian reader five said they’d apply to do a history degree and buy a flat in London.
Friends and family
“Helping my loved ones” was what got our readers most excited at the idea, with a clear majority saying that’s exactly what they’d do. “I would get a large house big enough to accommodate three generations of family, each with their own self-contained amenities,” said Guardian reader six.
“I’d take Mum on a holiday of a lifetime and then book a trip for myself to somewhere on the bucket list and spend a good amount of time (a month or two) exploring the place,” said Guardian reader seven.
The chance to “help friends” got Guardian reader eight buzzing, and pleasant surprises would be another big thing: one reader dreams of being able to “buy unexpected gifts for family and friends”, as well as “indulging more generally”.
Heal the world
“I’d buy an electric car and help young people who wanted to become vegan,” said Guardian reader nine. With a green-fingered plan to help others, Guardian reader 10 said they’d buy land to help develop new allotments and support new gardeners.
Guardian reader one said they would “look locally for a site on which I could build an architect-designed environmentally friendly house for myself and my wife with a net zero/negative carbon footprint”.
