A local mum is planning to buy a new home that will “transform the life” of her disabled daughter after winning the lottery.
Trawling through Rightmove with no luck had become a daily occurrence for Nichola Galley.
The 43-year-old, from Dukinfield in Tameside, had been checking the property website every day for over four years after local Council bosses refused planning permission to adapt their family home to suit the needs of her severely disabled daughter Ava.
Ava has a genetic condition that has continually perplexed medical professionals, and is considered to be so rare that it doesn’t even have a name.
The 13-year-old was born with the condition, and it has left her non-verbal, unable to walk without the assistance of others, and needing to be tube fed – but despite all in her way, the miracle teen has defied all the odds.
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Dukinfield mum wins the lottery and ‘a new life’ for disabled daughter / Credit: Supplied
“Ava’s condition is so rare it doesn’t have a name,” Nichola explained.
“Most pregnancies either miscarry or are stillborn, and doctors didn’t expect her to still be with us at this age, but she likes to keep us all on our toes.”
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Nichola – who works at a local supermarket cafe, and is also Ava’s full-time carer after giving up her career in design when her daughter was born – and her Creative Director husband Paul, 47, had to turn part of their downstairs dining room into a bedroom for Ava as she got older, as their current home is no longer suitable for her needs.
She's full-time carer to her daughter Ava, who has a disability, so this money means her family can now move to a more accessible house that will transform Ava's life ❤️👏 pic.twitter.com/8IxbMC6vDo
“Ava is getting older and bigger so we need a downstairs bedroom, a wet room, and open plan living so she can move around safely,” Nichola continued, “Hopefully it won’t come to it, but we might need hoists to lift her and everything that comes with that too.
“We don’t actually want to move.
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“We did apply for planning permission to have a downstairs wet room bathroom for Ava, but it was denied.”
Nichola Galley has won £55,555 on the People’s Postcode Lottery / Credit: People’s Postcode Lottery
But now, Nichola has won a life-changing £55,555 as part of the People’s Postcode Lottery’s ‘Millionaire Street’, along with a handful of her neighbours, and it means the family can move from their unsuitable semi to a new home that will “transform the life” of Ava.
“I can’t believe we’ve won that amount of money. It’s going to be so useful that it’s hard not to get emotional”.
Featured Image – People’s Postcode Lottery
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Icelandic airline offering incredible Northern Lights holiday experience including hotel, breakfast and tours
Danny Jones
Icelandair, the nation’s principal airline and proud flag carrier is offering an incredible package to holiday-goers this winter by giving them a chance to book their flights, hotel, breakfast, multiple unique tours and the opportunity to see the Northern Lights all in one affordable deal.
With the Northern Lights being one of the most magical tourist attractions in the world, its popularity only increases by the year and, as a result, so does the cost of going to see it.
That’s where Icelandair come in: the flight operator is offering Brits an amazing new package centred around the legendary natural light display at a discount. Trust us, you seriously want to consider snapping up this one whilst you can.
From this week, Icelandair is offering UK travellers a special package deal which includes a three-night holiday with return flights, a hotel room with breakfast and three unique and unforgettable Icelandic tours for just £459 per person.
(Credit: Icelandair)
This deal will see holidaymakers board an Icelandair economy flight from either London, Glasgow or Manchester Airport to the nation’s beautiful capital of Reykjavik, with a complimentary 23kg checked bag allowance, plus a 10kg in hand luggage allowance, your choice when it comes to where you want to seat, seat, on-board refreshments and a personal in-flight entertainment system.
For your accommodation, you’ll be staying at the four-star Hotel Island Spa and Wellness Resort, located right near the centre of Reykjavik and treated to breakfast every morning for two adults sharing a room. And then you get to make the most of what the country’s incredible landscape.
Onto the main event of your holiday: Icelandair’s Northern Lights experience is a breathtaking three-to-four-hour tour that allows you to see the glory of the incredible natural phenomenon with your own eyes.
As for the FlyOver Iceland tour, this unique experience is the ultimate flying ride which utilizes state-of-the-art technology to give you the exhilarating feeling of flight. During this virtual journey, you’ll experience the more remote but no less spectacular areas of Iceland through motion, wind, sound and even scents.
People wait their entire lives to experience the Northern Lights. What’s stopping you?
Last but not certainly least, you have the lava show, which is one of the top-rated attractions anywhere in Scandinavia, receiving numerous awards for innovation and educational value. You literally get to watch as they recreate a volcanic eruption and allow you to safely experience hot lava in close proximity.
Once again, all this is yours to enjoy from just £459 per person. We believe the phrase you’re looking for is ‘value for money’.
Available right now until 4 October 2023, you can book to travel to see Iceland and the Northern Lights from November 2023 right up until March 2024.
You book your flights HERE and find out more information about this incredible package via the Icelandair website.
This Greater Manchester area has just been named one of the best in the UK to raise a family
Emily Sergeant
We all know Greater Manchester is home to a wide range of neighbourhoods and residential areas to suit every need.
But one area, in particular, has just been named among the best in the UK to raise a family.
Fresh off the back of two of our region’s towns being highlighted as places that first time buyers should consider looking at to get onto the property ladder, and not long after another two local towns earned themselves a place within the top 20 ‘most desirable’ in Britain, Greater Manchester has now got another title to talk about with pride.
After the team at home security experts ADT decided to do some research into the best places in the country for those looking to raise a family, Trafford has made it into the top 10.
The Greater Manchester borough has earned seventh place on the list after a number of factors were analysed for the research – including the quality of the local schools, the general safety of the area, and the number of parks within walking distance.
The top 10 most family-friendly areas in the UK
Rank
Area
Crime Rate Per 1,000 People, Year ending March 2023
Burglary Rate Per 1,000 People, Year ending March 2023
Average number of Parks, Public Gardens, or Playing Fields within a 1,000 m radius
Percentage of Oustanding and Good Rated Schools and Colleges
Median House Price, Year Ending Dec 2022
Cost of a single bus fare, adult
Family Safety Score /10
1
Waltham Forest
82
3.2
6
82.8%
£520,000
£1.75
7.23
2
Kirklees
111
3.5
6
77.6%
£181,000
£1.60
7.12
3
Havering
76
2.9
4
89.5%
£445,000
£1.75
6.99
4
Bexley
65
2.4
4
81.3%
£425,000
£1.75
6.96
4
Bromley
69
3.1
6
79.7%
£529,000
£1.75
6.96
6
Wirral
96
2.6
6
77.8%
£200,000
£2.00
6.80
7
Trafford
88
4.4
5
83.2%
£193,000
£2.00
6.72
7
Newcastle
124
3.7
8
81.6%
£178,000
£2.00
6.72
9
Hounslow
88
4.2
5
83.2%
£478,000
£1.75
6.64
9
Hillingdon
80
3.6
5
80.5%
£485,000
£1.75
6.64
Waltham Forest in London takes the top spot for the most family-friendly area in the UK, according to the research, as it ranked within the top 15 for both the lowest crime and burglary rates, and also ranked seventh for schools – with 82.8% having a “good” or higher rating from OFSTED.
Kirkless in West Yorkshire took second place, followed by Havering, Bexley, and Bromley all rounding out the top five.
As well as Kirklees placing second and Trafford being in the seventh spot, the Wirral and Newcastle-upon-Tyne are also fellow northern representatives within the top 10.
Trafford has been named one of the best areas in the UK to raise a family / Credit: ADT
Sadly, on the other end of the spectrum, the least family-friendly area in the UK was found to be Birmingham, according to ADT’s research, as despite the average house price being £221,000, with a crime rate of 141 per 1,000 people, and a family safety score of just 2.5/10, the Midlands city takes the bottom spot.
On a more positive note though, when it comes the postcode area with the lowest crime rate in the UK, the North West is representing once again, as this has come out as CW12 3 in Cheshire East.
Emily Sergeant -
26th June 2023 
