The man hailed as ‘Britain’s most generous lottery winner’ has explained how he and his wife made a huge decision after winning more than £7 million on the lottery. Ray Wragg, 86, who won the National Lottery with his late wife Barbara in January 2000, decided it was far too much money for them – and gave most of it away.
Frugal Ray said he still keeps an eye on the price of socks, despite having given away the lion’s share of his £7 million jackpot. The couple, from Sheffield, donated over £5.5 million to various causes, benefiting thousands, while living modestly themselves. Ray, a former roofer, and Barbara, a nurse, supported family, friends, and 17 charities, including hospitals in Sheffield.
They were even awarded a trophy for their charitable efforts by lottery officials. Barbara, who passed away at 77 due to sepsis in 2018, once remarked that their fortune was “too much for two people”.
Reflecting on their life-changing win nearly 25 years later, Ray told the BBC: “I was working, Barbara was working, the kids were working. We were all right. Like other families do, we saved up. It changed our lives but not us as persons. That’s stood us in good stead. I still look at the price of a pair of socks you know.”
Sheffield United fans Ray and Barbara Wragg celebrate winning the £7,649,520 jackpot on, 25 January, 2000
(Image: © SWNS.com)
Ray popped open a can of Guinness, while Barbara enjoyed a glass of wine to toast their victory before ringing their children to share the good news. Sheffield United supporter Ray, who was scheduled to be on a construction site in South Wales at 8am the following Monday, promptly called his boss to inform him he wouldn’t be turning up, reports Yorkshire Live.
Ray, then aged 62, ‘effectively retired’ that night, as did Barbara, who had been working night shifts at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital for 22 years by that point. The first thing Ray splashed out on with the winnings was a £52,000 white Range Rover, before the couple embarked on a luxurious Caribbean cruise.
They then began their lifelong journey of philanthropy, which eventually led to invitations to Buckingham Palace and the Pride of Britain awards. They visited Sheffield Hallamshire Hospital to fund a bladder scanner and Weston Park Hospital where their daughter had received treatment for Ewing’s sarcoma.
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The generous couple also purchased 30 television sets so each child in a local hospice could watch TV from their bed. For six consecutive Christmases, they footed the bill for taking 250 children from an underprivileged inner city school to enjoy Sheffield’s pantomime. Barbara fondly remembers a visit to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital breast clinic in 2010.
During her appointment, when she spotted a donation pot, she expressed interest in making a contribution and shared with the specialist: “He asked me how much I wanted to donate and I told him £5,000. He said: ‘That will keep my young lads in research for a year’.”
The couple also generously supported various other causes such as Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, the Make a Wish Foundation, Whirlow Hall Farm Trust, the Meningitis Trust, and Help The Aged.
Sheffield United fans Ray and Barbara Wragg celebrate winning the £7,649,520 jackpot on, 25 January, 2000
(Image: © SWNS.com)
In 2003, they supported a group of WWII veterans on an expedition to commemorate their departed comrades, and in 2004, they funded a trip for 50 war heroes to Italy for the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Monte Cassino when official funding fell short. .
A list of organizations that have benefited from their goodwill includes: Meningitis Trust, Macmillan Nurses, Childline, Help The Aged, Help For Heroes, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Monte Cassino Veterans, Weston Park Hospital, Sheffield Children’s Hospital, Bents Green School Sheffield, Manor Boxing Boys and Girls Club, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Park Hill School Sheffield, Park Hill Lodge Sheffield, Help A Hallam Child, Norton House Country Club, and Breast Cancer Research led by Professor Malcolm Reed at Sheffield University.