A dad has bagged a Spanish villa worth £3million, all thanks to a second-hand armchair. Graham Dunlop, 52, picked up the old leather chair from a woman online who offered it for free if he donated to Alzheimer’s Research UK.
After making his donation, Graham decided to enter the Omaze prize draw which was supporting the same charity. Now, he’s won the keys to a stunning property worth more than £3 million and an extra £250,000 in cash.
The chair, often used by his pet dog Maisy, might get a new name ‘Omaisy’ after his big win. His new four-bedroom villa in Mallorca comes with a swimming pool and breathtaking mountain views.
Graham shared that the woman who gave him the chair wanted him to donate to Alzheimer’s Research UK as her late husband had dementia. He said: “The reason I entered the draw is quite random really, I’d been after an armchair for my home office for a while and one popped up on Gumtree.
”I went to pick it up but when we arrived the woman refused to take any money for it. Instead, she asked that we put something towards an Alzheimer’s charity, as her late husband had dementia.
”So I made a donation to Alzheimer’s Research UK, then saw that they’d also partnered with Omaze, so I bought an entry to the Superdraw on top. I didn’t give it a second thought and had totally forgotten I’d even entered.
“My wife didn’t like the look of my lucky chair at first, but of course she absolutely loves it now! You could say my £3 million prize cost me an armchair and a leg! I’ll bring the chair out here for sure, although it might look a bit odd next to the pool.”
Graham, who bought his winning entry for £75, has been married to his wife Amanda for 15 years and they have two children, an 18 year old daughter and 15 year old son.
Graham, originally from Edinburgh having moved to England 30 years ago, has been working in IT for the past 25 years. Amanda is a part-time primary school teacher. The couple have lived in their current four-bedroom house near Southampton since 2014.
They have two dogs Maisy, a 12 year old Labradoodle and and Hudson three-year-old Colliepoo. Graham said they will have to rename Maisy “Omaisy” after scooping the Omaze Grand Prize.
When Omaze first contacted Graham to tell him he’d won a prize, he had forgotten he’d entered. He celebrated his huge win “the best way a British man can” by “popping the kettle on having a cup of tea”.
He continued: “This villa is simply stunning, I love the design of the place and the views are spectacular. ‘I just can’t believe it’s all ours – even if I jumped in the pool I don’t think it would sink in!
“We love Spain but never dreamed we’d ever own a place here – especially one like this! I might have to work on my Spanish a bit – although I can order a cerveza with no problems.
“I’ve got a large extended family that we’ve not seen for a while – I’m really looking forward to getting us all together out here.”
He added: “I’ve never won anything before – but this is worth waiting 52 years for! I’m not sure what we’re going to do long term yet.”
”We’ll definitely be enjoying a few family holidays here – whatever we decide, this win is fantastic for our family’s future.”
The enviable property he has nabbed is situated a stone’s throw from the charming town Selva and village Caimari in sun-soaked holiday hotspot Mallorca. It boasts a bespoke design, blending traditional Spanish features-like stone walls and terracotta rooftops-with an ultra-modern style indoors.
Brimming with bright, spacious open-plan living areas, it also spotlights a lavish swimming pool surrounded by chill-out spaces and sun loungers-perfect for when he wants a post-swim sunbathe or siesta. This dreamy retreat bathes in breathtaking views of the Spanish countryside and Serra de Tramuntana mountains.
Inside, there’s a top-notch kitchen with an island for dining, and a bright conservatory with glass doors that show off the neat gardens. The posh living room has a fancy fireplace and leads straight to the courtyard and barbecue area with its own stone oven.
The top floor of the house has a stylish main bedroom suite with its own bathroom and dressing room, plus two extra guest bedrooms. There’s also another bedroom with a roll top bath on the lower floor.
As well as making Graham very rich, the Omaze Million Pound House Superdraw, Mallorca, also raised £3,100,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK – the UK’s top charity for dementia research – in just six weeks.
Dementia is the top cause of death in the UK, with over 74,000 lives lost to it in 2022. Shockingly, half of us will be hit by dementia, either caring for someone, getting it ourselves, or both. There’s hope on the way with new Alzheimer’s treatments that could slow it down, but none are in the UK yet.
Alzheimer’s Research UK is fighting to bring these treatments and more trials to the UK because right now, there aren’t enough. People with dementia might miss out on research that could change their lives.
The amazing £3.1 million raised by Omaze’s latest partnership will help Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Clinical Accelerator Programme, making dementia research faster and getting closer to a cure.
Hilary Evans from Alzheimer’s Research UK shared: “We’re delighted that Omaze, and all those who entered the Omaze Million Pound House Superdraw in Mallorca, have raised a phenomenal £3,100,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK.”
“Nearly a million people in the UK have dementia, and we urgently need to find more and better treatments so that we can take away the fear, harm and heartbreak that this devastating condition causes.”
“The vital funds raised will support our Clinical Accelerator Programme, which will boost clinical research taking place in the NHS and ultimately speed up progress towards a cure. This is an exciting step forward in our efforts to transform the lives of people affected by dementia”
“Thank you Omaze, and everyone who entered, for standing with us for a cure.” Alzheimer’s Research UK has partnered with Omaze for the second time to raise funds for their cause.
This first partnership in 2022 brought in an impressive £1 million that helped sustain progress in dementia research during the pandemic. With this generous donation, Omaze has now raised a grand total of £4.1 million for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Entries for the upcoming Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Cotswolds are available now. You can enter online until Sunday, February 25 or via post until Tuesday, February 27, 2024.
For the full terms and conditions, visit www.omaze.co.uk. You don’t need to buy anything to enter. This is only for those who are over 18 and live in the UK.
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