Blyth grandad wins Health Lottery jackpot for the second time in seven years

The 65-year-old won a £67,000 jackpot, following a £31,449 win in 2015.

Some of the winnings will be donated to cancer charities Marie Curie and CLIC Sargent following their support when Frank’s partner Ann was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2010 and his four-year-old grand-daughter was diagnosed with leukaemia.

Frank, who works as a tutor, said: “Ann had two young children to care for and was worried she would not get to see them grow up. Thankfully, Ann is now clear of cancer and she has six-monthly blood checks to monitor her condition.

“Illness in anyone’s family is often a very traumatic event, and cancer always takes a massive toll.

“It does not matter who you are or how old you are. You need lots of coping strategies, but more than that you need lots of people there to support you.

“What surprised me was the amount of support on offer from charities like CLIC Sargent and Marie Curie. It was wonderful to have them take over the stress and the strains of trying to get through another day.

“They came through for us, so I would like to give them something as well from my lottery win. They are worth their weight in gold.”

Frank and Ann, who plan to get married next year, also want to donate to Empire School of Boxing in Blyth.

Frank said: “It is not unusual for them to open the club in the middle of the night to allow ex-servicemen suffering from PTSD to punch their anxieties out while having a cuppa with an understanding therapist and coach.

“They help people get their mobility back after cancer treatment or chronic illness. They are on a crusade to help our local community to regain its health and well-being and are instrumental in reducing crime by engaging in support for disengaged youngsters.

“Both Ann and I are happy to support Empire Boxing School with a donation that would never have been possible without our Health Lottery win.

“Organisations such as this do so much for the community and we should all pass good fortune on if we can.”

In addition, Frank has bought an iPad for his mum, a keen royalist, so that she can watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony despite her health troubles and a deteriorating eye condition.

Frank said: “She absolutely loves it. Being housebound is quite depressing for her and she misses my dad, we all do, but now she has really perked up.

“They say charity begins at home and in this case The Health Lottery win has allowed me to treat mum first hand.”

Frank uses the same numbers, primarily birthdays, in the lottery every week, a strategy he says has proven “quite successful.” He initially thought the call to tell him he had won was a hoax.

He added: “It is absolutely fabulous to have won this prize.

“I have been playing The Health Lottery since it was launched. I was a little bit disillusioned with other lotteries and I wanted to contribute directly to charitable causes.”