'We won £6m on lottery - now I help a food bank'

Winning a £6.1m lottery jackpot transformed the lives of Kevin and Michele Jones almost overnight.

Ten years on, while they still enjoy the freedom that came with the life-changing win, they often spend their time volunteering in their local community.

The Cheshire couple's lives changed dramatically in 2016 when Kevin, then a bus driver, discovered he had matched all six Lotto numbers.

Michele said one of the biggest rewards of having the freedom has come from helping people who might otherwise go hungry at her local food bank.

She joined the team at The Pantry @ Sandbach Hub four years ago, helping support people struggling with the cost of food and living expenses.

"I've always wanted to help other people, so I've got the opportunity now," she said.

"My husband saw it advertised that they were looking for volunteers and I've joined it from day one."

The pantry provides low-cost food and support for residents, while also connecting people with organisations that can offer advice and practical help.

Michele said being part of the team had become one of the most rewarding parts of her life.

"It's an incredible team who do incredible things for people, and I feel privileged to be part of it," she said.

"The satisfaction of seeing people not go hungry is tremendous."

In addition to Michele helping out at the pantry, the couple have worked with the National Lottery to volunteer on numerous community projects, including helping at an arts group in Manchester earlier this year.

Kevin said he was working on a bus route between Crewe and Newcastle-under-Lyme when he realised he had become a millionaire.

"I won the lot - £6m!" he said. "I rang my boss up and I said: 'Can I get off the bus at Crewe; can you take me off the service because something important has happened?'

"He said: 'Go on.' And I told him I'd won the lottery!"

Despite the news, Kevin still completed his shift the morning after finding out.

"He didn't want to let people down that were catching the bus to work," Michele said.

The couple spent the first night discussing how the win would change their lives and made helping family their priority.

The pair later moved from Crewe to Sandbach to be closer to relatives and have enjoyed regular trips to the Canary Islands over the years.

Kevin said the greatest benefit of winning had been helping support family members and the freedom it gave them.

"The first priority was to look after the family," Kevin said. "We've secured their futures. They have no mortgages anymore.

"We all have to go to work, we have obligations to pay mortgages, bills, etc, and all that was suddenly removed.

"We had the freedom to go where we wanted, when we wanted."

Their story comes as Lotto undergoes its biggest overhaul since its launch, with operator Allwyn saying changes to the game are expected to more than double the number of millionaires created each year.

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