A SCOTS man has been left in disbelief after winning the National Lottery’s Set for Life draw last month.
Steven Dunbar had been “longing for a change of fortune” when he entered the Set for Life draw on Monday 28 November.
The 37-year-old dad-of-two matched the five main numbers with a lucky dip ticket that he purchased on the National Lottery website.
Steven, from Grangemouth, Falkirk, admitted to having endured a tough year, but after scooping the lottery win, hopes the tides have now turned.
Checking his emails first thing after playing the lottery every Monday and Thursday, Steven said: “It was about 6.30am when I read the email while getting ready for work – I couldn’t believe it!
“You’re always hoping for good news, but you never really think it will happen to you.
“I ran straight through to the bedroom to get my partner, Rebecca, out of bed. She’s not usually a morning person, but I’ve never seen her move that fast.”
Steven then called his mum to tell her the good news.
He said: “Everyone has been so happy for us – it really has brought a bit of hope and joy to everyone around us.”
Steven says his family have had a hard year, losing a close friend and two family members within the space of just a few months.
With plans for a quiet, low-key Christmas, as the family just hadn’t felt like celebrating this year, Steven said: “I just kept thinking, ‘give us a break’ – and then this happened.
“This has given us the lift we needed. They must be looking over us. It has been a gift from heaven.
“It’s been a hard year for everyone, so I really want to spread hope – it really can happen to hard working people like us.”
Playing Set for Life online each week, Steven had confessed the idea of a monthly windfall is what had drawn him to the game.
Opting for a Lucky Dip each time, Steven said: “This has given us options. Yes, we could pay off our mortgage, but we’d be doing that anyway.
“So why not enjoy it and do things we might not have been able to in the past? Life is too short.
“We want to take the girls to Florida, and we’d also love to visit New York.”
But something Steven has already got plans moving on is a loft conversion to create his own “man cave”.
He joked: “What better time to prove to Rebecca that it’s a good idea than during the World Cup when she’s sick of the football being on the TV every single day.
“This win has been so special for us that I’m going to create something of a shrine to The National Lottery in the man cave to ensure we never forget this feeling – I think the giant cheque will look great on the wall.”
Steven’s winning numbers for the Set for Life draw on Monday 28 November were 02, 12, 17, 19, 21. The Life Ball was 04.
National Lottery players generate more than £30m each week for National Lottery-funded projects.
To date, over £46bn has been raised for National Lottery Good Causes, with more than 670,000 individual grants awarded.
