A woman with an 11-year-old son has been able to buy her own home after years of living in rental accommodation – having entered an online prize raffle on a whim.
Jade Pilgrim, from west London, was provided emergency council housing for herself and her son, when the landlord for her private rental decided to take the property back.
The mum worried that the family would never find a permanent home and could only dream of muscling her way into the UK’s ever-competitive housing market.
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Then, a friend encouraged her to enter an online competition by Tramway Path.
Although the 30-year-old design and refurb coordinator was at first sceptical about her chances to win, she decided to try her luck, purchasing a £5 ticket.
She was blown away when a call came in from Jason, Will and Daniel Twenefour, the brother trio who own Tramway Path, announcing that she was the winner.
The prize? £500,000 to purchase a property mortgage-free.
Jade said: “My life has changed forever.
“This has given me what I’ve prayed for – everything I’ve dreamed of, freedom, living life on my own terms.
“[It’s] everything I’ve ever wanted.
“As soon as I got off that call [telling me I’d won], I ran out of my car and started screaming from the side of the road.
“My partner was sitting next to me at the time and was in complete disbelief.
“I hadn’t even told him I’d entered a competition because I didn’t think anything would come of it.
“Once I’d calmed down, I rang my mum.
“At first, she thought it was a joke but once she realised this was the real deal, she started screaming alongside me on the phone.”
The mum-of-one, who was first told the good news on 25 April this year, has now secured a property purchase.
Jade, who has an 11-year-old son and a partner, had previously lived in west London.
She is now the happy owner of a two-bedroom house in Raynes Park, with room to add two further bedrooms.
Jade said: “It has always been my goal to give my son his own home, but I didn’t think I’d be able to do it so soon.
“My friend told me that there were these three brothers who run house raffles for a fiver.
“I’ve never entered something like this before, but I thought I’d give it a go.
“I’ve been renting for a very long time and wasn’t sure when I’d be able to get on the property ladder, I thought it would be many more years at least.”
Tramway Path has previously run 11 competitions, giving away lump sums of cash to help people get on the property ladder, or even homes.
Earlier this year, the company helped single mum Angelika Wisniewska buy a five-bedroom home mortgage-free, after she won the £500,000 grand prize.
Angelika had purchased a £5 ticket and was registered homeless at the time, living in a council house with her two children.
She said of the win: “I’ve never won anything [before] – maybe a pound in a scratch card!”
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