A RENFREWSHIRE couple who won £14million on the National Lottery have pitched in to help rebuild a playhouse for disabled children which was destroyed by vandals.
John and Alison Doherty, from Elderslie, hit the jackpot in July 2016 when they scooped a life-changing prize of £14,671,343.
Seven years later, they have teamed up with other National Lottery winners from across Scotland to support a charity which provides adventure play opportunities for youngsters with disabilities.
The caring team of helpers, with a combined wealth of almost £90m, spent two days painting and furnishing a jungle-themed playhouse at The Yard, in Dundee.
The original playhouse, which was built and gifted to the charity five years ago, was vandalised earlier this year.
Among those who joined John and Alison for the rebuild job at The Yard were Fred and Lesley Higgins, from Aberdeenshire, who won £58m in 2018.
Mr Higgins said: "Like all our fellow winners here today, we were devastated when we found out what had happened.
"We understand how much the playhouse has been loved over the years and how important it has been to so many young people.
"The new design is just what the youngsters asked for and we now hope they will have many, many more happy and fun years using it."
Gill Thomson, service development manager at The Yard, has thanked John and Alison for lending a hand.
She said: "We are so grateful to the big-hearted National Lottery winners for stepping in and supporting us with their time and effort.
"The children have been devastated. So many families rely on this service as a safe and welcoming place to play.
"It has been a much-loved and well-used facility since we were gifted it and we hoped it would be with us for many years, bringing joy to lots of young people – and now it looks like it once again will be."
The winning ticket which made plumber John and Alison mega-rich in 2016 was bought from the Nisa store, in Main Street, Elderslie.
The couple kept their big win a big secret for two weeks, as they went on a family holiday to Florida before deciding to cash in their ticket.
At the time, Alison told how she had checked the ticket while at home eating lunch on the Sunday following the July 2 draw.
She said: "My iPad was lying on the table, so I decided I better check my ticket.
"When the first three numbers matched, I actually thought 'Oh good, I've won £25.' Then the fourth number matched and the fifth.
"When I realised I had all six numbers, I couldn't believe it. I was screaming, lying on the floor, shaking like a leaf – just in complete shock."
Alison, a former classroom assistant at Kilbarchan Primary School, called John to come home from work and broke the good news.
She added: "He made me get on the phone to Camelot straight away. Waiting for the winner adviser to call me back was the longest hour of my life."
Rather than take the precious piece of paper abroad with them, Alison decided to hide it at home.
She explained: "I put the original ticket inside a hurricane lantern candle holder I have in my bedroom.
"I also made a photocopy and hid that in the box that John keeps his work boots in, just in case. I wasn't taking any chances."
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