Meet the lottery winners who won MILLIONS but decided to keep working – from the school dinner lady to the shelf-stacker
KAREN Dakin got a great Mother's Day gift this year – when her lottery numbers came up and she won £1million.
But despite her newfound riches, the 53-year-old says she has no intention of ditching her day job as a dinner lady – and she's not the only lotto winner to keep working.
Karen, from Ipswich, plans to buy a new house and a car for her NHS storeman hubby Jeff, 60, who had a serious stroke in 2018.
And while she'll also treat herself to an overdue holiday when she can, Karen has no plans to hang up her dinner lady hairnet just yet.
"I love my job, school and all the kids,” she explained.
News of Karen's plans to keep working come as Britain's youngest lottery winner, Callie Rogers, was found to be claiming Universal Credit after blowing £1.8million on cosmetic surgeries and partying.
Karen's not alone in her hardworking attitude – she's one of many lottery millionaires who decided to still keep clocking in even after cashing out.
Here are some of the others' stories – including the bus driver who got up for his shift at 5:30am the morning after he scooped £6million.
Up at midnight to stack shelves
Elaine Thompson scooped an eye-watering £2.7million on the lottery – but still gets up in the middle of the night to stack shelves at M&S.
She even kept it up working 2am shifts throughout the pandemic -even though she's asthmatic and vulnerable.
The 65-year-old mum-of-two won big back in 1995, splashing out on racehorses and swanky holidays to Vegas to celebrate.
But the grafter from Killingworth, Tyne and Wear, says she keeps working to set a good example for her kids.
"It’s important that children see you working hard,” Elaine said last year.
“I absolutely love my job and just because I won the lottery, this didn’t make me want to give up work.
"It’s all about balance.”
Millionaire midwife
Another lucky lady looking to set an example to kids is Ruth Breen – who still works as a midwife after winning £1million.
The 41-year-old mum from Wigan made her fortune on the EuroMillions UK Millionaire Raffle in 2014, but her love of her job has kept her delivering babies since.
“We can use the money to help pay for bills or to enjoy ourselves but if we gave up work, we would have to watch ourselves and what we spend.
“We’re coming closer to retirement and we can then use the money the way we want as long as we’re careful.”
Bloomin' 'ard work
Winning the lottery means you can quit your boring job – but that doesn't mean you want to stop working altogether.
Barbara Derry-McClellan scooped a whopping £2.3million in the Lotto Jackpot in 2000.
Instead of giving up work completely, she switched careers to open up a flower shop and florist wholesale firm.
“I hated my job at a courier company, it was so boring and unfulfilling," Barbara said.
“I didn’t really have any other skills apart from being good at talking to customers but I did think my mum (a florist) was super talented and that I’d love to be able to do what she did."
She added: "I probably wouldn’t have made the leap if it hadn’t been for the Lotto win and now I’m surrounded by beautiful blooms everyday – what more could a girl ask for?”
Busman's dollar day
Kevin Jones is also familiar with early starts – even getting up at 5.30am to go to work the morning after he bagged £6.1million
The bus driver's massive 2016 windfall came after thieves broke into his home and stripped the place bare.
He was living in Spain at the time but, after losing everything, he decided to return to the UK to work 12-hour shifts on the buses.
And despite realising he'd hit the jackpot on a £2 Lucky Dip, he still went into work the next day.
"We didn’t let the ticket out of our sight as we were terrified we’d lose it or the dog would eat it," he said at the time of his win.
“I was at work the next morning at 5.30am and I’d not slept a wink.
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“But there was no way I couldn’t go in – I know how much people rely on
me for their morning commute."
Despite diligently turning up the next day, green-fingered Kevin did plan to retire – and swap his bus for a ride-on lawn mower.