A woman is raffling off her house and car after being diagnosed with an incurable heart disease and is currently recovering from a bout of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Mum-of-two Jennifer Matthews and her husband David decided to raffle off their five-bed detached house – named Bramble Lodge, near Adlington in Lancashire – after the 48-year-old, who runs an electrical engineering company, was diagnosed with ventricular tachycardia in 2016 and, after collapsing twice in 2018 and 2019, has not been able to work as much.
Jennifer’s condition devastatingly cannot be treated, which means she has a fast and abnormal heart rate.
And although Jennifer said she feels “lucky to be alive” – having had heart surgery in mid-2019 in an unsuccessful attempt to try to boost her electrolytes to a normal level – the couple have been forced to make the difficult decision to sell their home and downscale.
The Matthews’ are selling their £600,000 home after building their house from the ground up eight years ago.
ADVERTISEMENT
The stunning luxury home has five double bedrooms, a massive garden, a £7,000 Aga cooker, and on top of that, also comes with a 2004 Ferrari 360 Spider – which is “thrilling” to drive, according to the couple.
And you could be in with a chance of winning it for just £2.
ADVERTISEMENT
Raffall.com / Jennifer Matthews
Jennifer said she was saddened to sell her “dream house”, but felt this was an opportunity for another family to get the deal of a lifetime for just £2.
She told LancsLive: “I’ve got a fatal heart condition which can’t be treated [and] it’s nearly taken my life a few times. We’re going through the process of selling the house because of it. I come from nothing and I thought I’d love someone to have a house like this and have a Ferrari.
“Ryan Giggs used to live across the street, it’s a lovely area [and] someone could get a dream house for just £2.”
ADVERTISEMENT
She continued: “I think it’s a dream house because everyone has always told us that if they’d won the lottery, they’d buy my house, and it’s marvellous and thrilling driving a Ferrari – it’s not every day you get to ride in one.”
The Matthews’ had previously tried to sell the home the “conventional way”, but the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic initially made it a struggle, and then when the first national lockdown ended, they were bombarded with viewings and Jennifer said she struggled to deal with them as she was exhausted and worried about her health.
Jennifer continued: “We bought the land in 2012 and moved in August 2012, built it all in seven months,
“We worked so hard [and] poured our heart and soul into the house.
ADVERTISEMENT
“When the restrictions ended we were inundated with viewings and a few offers, but it made matters worse because I couldn’t manage all the viewings, running my business, with my children, my dogs, five six viewings a day – I was shattered.
“I saw this other house come up for a raffle and wondered if it was real.”
After finding out that it very much was real – and having seen the modern method of raffling becoming increasingly popular to sell property during difficult times – the Matthews’ jumped at the opportunity to list their home on the site and see what happens.
“I come from nothing and I thought I’d love someone to have a house like this and have a Ferrari.” said Jennifer.
___
ADVERTISEMENT
Tickets to enter the raffle cost just £2, with the closing date being Sunday 14th February 2021 at 11:45pm (or when the last ticket is sold, whichever sooner).
Manchester has been named one of the most ‘stressful’ places to drive in the UK
Emily Sergeant
The UK’s most challenging driving locations have been revealed, according to new data… and isn’t good news for Manchester.
No matter whether you’re a new driver or have years of experience behind the wheel, some roads can test even the most confident of motorists.
From congestion and poor road conditions, to limited parking and higher incident rates, it’s fair to say that some areas make driving more stressful.
But which parts of the UK are the hardest to drive in?
Well, in a bid to answer that question, MoneySuperMarket has analysed a whole host of data – such as road infrastructure, road safety, road conditions, vehicle crime concerns, and insurance-related trends – for 58 UK cities, boroughs, and local authorities to create a drivability score and discover the locations that drivers find most stressful.
Manchester has been named one of the most ‘stressful’ places to drive in the UK / Credit: Manchester City Council | pxfuel
Manchester, unfortunately, claimed third place on the list of top 10 most challenging locations for drivers – with an overall drivability score of 25 out of 100.
Other northern cities and towns like Leeds, Preston, Blackpool, Bradford, Wakefield, and Oldham have founded themselves in the top 10 too, meaning the North West is sadly the most-represented area.
Top 10 Most Challenging Locations For Drivers
Croydon
Derby
Manchester
Leeds
Preston
Birmingham
Blackpool
Bradford
Wakefield
Oldham
The findings also reflect some of the concerns drivers experience on the road, with more than a third of motorists (34%) saying they have avoided driving because they were travelling in an unfamiliar area, while almost a third (32%) have chosen not to drive due to heavy traffic or congestion.
Dealing with impatient or aggressive drivers was the most commonly cited source of stress, with almost two-thirds of motorists (65%) saying they find situations such as tailgating and beeping stressful.
“Driving is part of everyday life for millions of people, but our research shows just how much stress and uncertainty it can bring,” commented Alicia Hempsted, who is a Car Insurance Expert at MoneySuperMarket.
“Particularly in areas where there are more incidents recorded, car-related thefts are more common, or where there is heavier traffic or less familiar roads.”
Featured Image – pxfuel
Trending
Channel 4 is looking for Mancs who think they can survive the apocalypse for a new TV series
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Have you always wanted to see how long you’d last in an apocalypse?
Well now’s your chance, as Apocalypse is potentially coming back to Channel 4 for a second series, with producers having put out a nationwide casting call for contestants willing to take part.
The casting call simply reads: “Do you think you have what it takes to survive the end of the world?”
Described as a dystopian series designed to test the creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience of our nation, Apocalypse sees players are pushed out of their comfort zones and put to the ultimate test.
In the series, ordinary people are tasked with surviving for 28 days in an abandoned city – used previously only for the military to practice urban warfare – with no food, running water, electricity or heat.
Produced by The Garden – which is part of ITV Studios – for Channel 4, the show’s creators are now calling on Mancs and people up and down the country with the ‘courage and ingenuity’ to compete, to get in touch and apply for the potential second series.
Does your mate always bang on after watching a post-apocalyptic film that they would’ve done things differently? Or is the news at the moment freaking you out and you want to give the end of the world a bit of a practice run? Either way, sign up, test that plan you’ve built in your head, and see if you’ve really got what it takes.
Applications are now open, and all you need to do is fill in a short application form and one of the production team will get back to you if they would like to proceed. Come on, let’s prove what Mancs are made of.
Emily Sergeant -
18th January 2021 
