A County Durham builder has fulfilled what he calls “every parent’s dream” after scooping £1million on the National Lottery.
Terry Gillings, 61, from Stanley in County Durham, decided on the most selfless of ways to spend his newfound fortune: he cleared the mortgages on all four of his daughters’ homes, and donated the rest to charity.
“We’ve always worked hard and helped our kids where we can, but this is a whole other level,” Mr Gillings said.
“I’ll never forget phoning our daughters to tell them that their mortgages were being paid off. It generated quite a bit of screaming and joy.”
Mr Gillings and his wife Caroline, 54, matched the winning numbers on March 26, 2025.
The joy of their lottery triumph was tainted with heartbreak, however.
Just two days after becoming a millionaire, Mr Gillings lost his father, who was 85 and had been battling prostate cancer and Parkinson’s disease.
Mr Gillings had been caring for his dad and managed to share the wonderful news before he passed away.
A County Durham builder has fulfilled what he calls ‘every parent’s dream’ after scooping £1million on the National Lottery last March
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NATIONAL LOTTERY
“I told dad we’d won a million and, true to character, his first words were ‘don’t lie to us!'” he recalled.
“I like to think knowing Caroline and I, and the girls, were all well set up for the future meant he slipped away more peacefully.”
His father had always told him to “celebrate the wins” – advice Mr Gillings intends to follow.
But, despite his newfound wealth, he has no plans to hang up his tools.
The couple paid off the mortgage on all four of their daughter’s homes
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NATIONAL LOTTERY
The 61-year-old has worked in construction since leaving school and doesn’t intend to stop any time soon.
“I’ve been a builder since I left school, and I can’t really imagine stopping now,” he said.
Mr Gillings built the couple’s dream home seven years ago, so he’s not short of projects to keep him busy.
Rather than taking on client work, he’s now looking to develop a plot of land he invested in years ago with a friend, where they plan to build a couple of houses together.
Terry and Caroline have also chosen to support Breast Cancer Awareness with their winnings
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NATIONAL LOTTERY
Terry and Caroline have also chosen to support Breast Cancer Awareness with their winnings, a cause that holds deep personal significance for the family.
“We lost my mum to breast cancer, my sister has had treatment, our daughter has recently undergone a double mastectomy, and I have been advised that I carry the gene,” Mr Gillings explained.
The couple also have some adventures planned for themselves, with Mr Gillings hoping to visit Indonesia to spot the critically endangered Bali myna in the wild – a species he breeds at home.
A trip to Machu Picchu in Peru is also on their wish list.