A 47-year-old mother was surprised at her home near Birmingham after being told she had won £1 million in the first Omaze Monthly Millionaire draw.
Naomi Newton-Sherlock, who said she bought a £15 ticket, was still in her gym clothes when Omaze staff arrived on a Friday evening and showed her a counter that climbed to the seven-figure total. Newton-Sherlock fell to her knees as the display passed £100,000 and again when it reached £1 million, telling reporters "We can finally get the carpets done."
Newton-Sherlock, who works for a UK manufacturer and lives with her husband, Matt, 49, and their two children, said the win "came totally out of the blue." She said she had just returned from the gym where she is training for a 100km Sahara Desert charity walk in November to raise money for The Benevolent Society. The family lives just south of Birmingham and Newton-Sherlock is originally from Cambridgeshire.
She said she called her husband after learning of the win and that his first question was, "Is it tax-free?" Newton-Sherlock listed immediate priorities as paying off the mortgage, treating the children and taking a proper family holiday. She said her daughter wants a horse and that the family could now consider long-planned travel, including a trip to Japan to mark Matt's 50th birthday.
Omaze launched the Monthly Millionaire draw in August, advertising that it will make one UK resident a millionaire each month. The company said the programme raises funds for charities and helps introduce charitable causes to new audiences. James Oakes, president of Omaze, congratulated Newton-Sherlock and said the organisation was "very excited for her and her family."
Newton-Sherlock described the moment as "utterly life-changing," noting that before this the only prize she had won was a giant teddy bear at a work raffle. She said the win relieves financial pressure; her husband had been raising their children while his business recovered from pandemic-related impact and she had been working full time.
Neighbours and local pub regulars came outside to celebrate, and Newton-Sherlock said the couple have a Friday-night ritual of "driveway drinks" with friends that continued even after lockdown. She said the family already felt "lighter" after the surprise and that the news quickly spread through the close-knit community.
Omaze said the draw provides entrants a chance to win large prizes while supporting charity partners. Newton-Sherlock, married for 18 years, said she would not forget becoming the first Omaze Monthly Millionaire and that her family was "so excited for this next chapter of our lives."