A 24-year-old who discovered she had won a £3 million home on her way to McDonald’s has said her mood transformed from “hungry” to “gobsmacked”.
Lauren Keene, 24, from Gloucester in south-west England, entered Omaze’s latest Million Pound House Draw in a bid to nab the Hollywood Hills-inspired mansion on the Wirral Peninsula in Merseyside.
Ms Keene, the youngest Omaze Grand Prize Winner to date, bought her ticket for the competition which raised £3.5 million for Scouts for £20.
We did end up celebrating with a Maccies afterwards and it was a very, very happy meal indeed
The full-time nanny was on her way to grab a McDonald’s drive-thru after work when Omaze called her to tell her she had won the five-bedroom home.
“It was just an ordinary Friday really, I was heading for a McDonald’s after work when I got a call from Omaze telling me I’d won something,” said Ms Keene.
“I was sceptical – and hungry – but went straight home to see what I’d won.
“The next thing we knew, the Omaze team were all there telling us we’d won a £3 million mansion.
“I was gobsmacked.
“It was definitely worth missing my McDonald’s for, it’s made me a multi-millionaire.
“We did end up celebrating with a Maccies afterwards and it was a very, very happy meal indeed.”
Ms Keene, who is currently living with her father in his two-bedroom flat, says the win means she can finally move in with her long-term boyfriend Ryan Mitchell.
“Winning this house has transformed our lives forever. Whatever we decide to do long term, we’re made for life now,” she said.
Along with the £3 million house, Ms Keene has also been given £250,000 in cash to help her settle in and can decide to either live in the house, rent it out for a supplementary income or sell it.
The 4,750 square foot prize property, which was nominated for the RIBA Mansell house of the year, features five bedrooms, a cinema room and a heated swimming pool.
It comes fully furnished, mortgage free and all stamp duty and legal fees are covered.
If Ms Keene decides to rent it out, local estate agents estimate that the property could achieve a long-term rental value of £8,000 per month.
The £3.5 million raised from the partnership with Omaze will fund Scouts to open new groups in local communities, especially low-income areas, helping young people of every background.
It will also support young people in their early years (in Squirrels Scouts) as they start out on their journey through Scouts.
Scouts chief executive Aidan Jones said: “Our partnership with Omaze has been just brilliant.
“The partnership will allow us to help grow our new Squirrel Scout section.
“The funds generated will help over 16,000 four and five-year-olds learn key life skills.
“As well as the funds we had expected to generate from working with Omaze, we are blown away by the extra funds that have been created.
“These extra resources will help us support the learning and development of our volunteer teams and help us with our plans to support improved teenage mental wellbeing.
“Thank you to every single person who entered the draw that has helped us raise funds for this nation’s young people.”
