A Doncaster couple will soon be cruising in the Canaries, thanks to scooping first prize in Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice’s December to Remember raffle.

Brian Davies didn’t believe the caller ringing to tell him he’d won £2,500 in Bluebell Wood's Christmas raffle - and rang us back to double-check.

"I was totally gobsmacked to hear it was true. When I put those raffle tickets in a drawer, my only thought was that I must remember to put them in the bin after Christmas," said the Cantley 71-year-old.

"I’ve rarely won anything in my life and thought I just wasn’t a lucky person. Now I’ve changed my view."

Brian and his wife Janet plan to put the cash towards their first holiday abroad since 2019.

"It’s made a big dent in the cost. We head off in the spring and are really looking forward to it as the pandemic put holidays on hold for us," said Brian, who worked for Hellaby’s History and Heraldry Group before retiring.

He is a regular player of the hospice’s lottery: "I’ve contributed by direct debit every month for three years. I’ve never won anything, but I don’t mind though because it’s an important local charity to support," he commented. "I know hospices get no government support and we as a population can’t do without them."

The December to Remember 2022 raffle was sponsored by Sheffield’s Global Windows.

You have to be in it to win it! Sign up to Bluebell Wood's lottery here.