Care home worker wins £1 million but won't quit her job

A care home worker who won £1 million on a scratchcard she bought during her break, says she loves her job so much she won’t be giving it up.

Twenty-six-year-old Sara Thomas worked on the frontline in a care home during the pandemic, says that despite her £1 million lottery win, the money won’t make her stop work.

Sara Thomas said: "I love my job and want to continue working. The patients appreciate you being there for them when they can't see their family and it's just really comforting knowing that you are putting a smile on their faces.

"We have great banter. It's nice to know you are helping someone and making a difference. It has been tough, but I wouldn't change it."

Ms Thomas bought a National Lottery scratchcard at a shop during her break as a care home assistant and was so stunned to discover she had won £1 million, she asked her work colleagues to telephone Camelot to check it was true.

’We were all screaming’

"I scratched it at work and revealed that I had won £1 million - I was gobsmacked. I called the girls I work with and they thought I was joking.

"I asked one of my colleagues to call The National Lottery for me with the phone on speaker as I thought it was a prank and I didn't want to embarrass myself.

"When Camelot confirmed the win we were all screaming. I could not believe it, it still hasn't sunk in."

The care worker bought her winning 50X Scratchcard at the Londis store in Treharris in South Wales. She is one of many millionaires created by The National Lottery over the Easter weekend.

Sara Thomas telephoned her partner Sean Warner and her father who advised her to take the day off.

'I didn't want to let the girls down'

Ms Thomas said: “They both said I should leave work for the day but we were short-staffed and I didn't want to let the girls down so I stayed until 7pm. The rest of the day was a bit of a blur."

As well as working in a care home, Ms Thomas has been home-schooling her five-year-old daughter and caring for her three-year-old son during lockdown.

Ms Thomas is a qualified hairdresser and has a degree in business. She has long-term dreams of starting her own business but becoming pregnant with her daughter meant she was unable to finish studying.

She now says: “This win has opened the doors to lots of new opportunities for me and my family. It is my children's future set and they can have the best life they can."

The couple plan on buying a family home with a large garden for their children and Ms Thomas intends to pass her driving test and buy herself a Jeep.