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Lottery winners given 'the gift of time'

Ruth Doyle Ruth and Peter Doyle smiling at the camera in the seating of an almost empty sports stadium. Ruth wears a sparkly dress and Peter has a jacket and floral shirt.Ruth Doyle
Ruth and Peter Doyle said that winning £1m gave them the gift of time

It has been 30 years since the first National Lottery draw, with £50bn raised for good causes and many millionaires made in that time. Among them is Ruth Doyle, who told the BBC how "everything changed" after her numbers came up.

Ruth, who lives in Wiltshire, won £1m in June 2014 when she was busy working abroad - but she did not get it until August that year, partly because she did not check her emails properly.

The prize money allowed them to retire early and spend more time with family and friends.

"We'd probably be struggling if it wasn't for our win"," said Mrs Doyle. "Our life is far less stressful than it would have been otherwise."

Tina Dodd A Shaun the Sheep shaped figure - life-size - in the corner of a living room, painted with lots of blue and motif representing London like Tower Bridge, a red bus, the London Eye and boats.Tina Dodd
One of the couple's big purchases was a Shaun the Sheep statue - originally on display in London

It took more than two months for the couple to even realise they had won.

Mrs Doyle first spotted £25 in her bank account from the lottery. She thought it was a "nice addition" and did not think anymore about it until a call a couple of months later.

"It was a normal Friday afternoon and everything changed from then," she said.

When the "lovely lady" from the National Lottery announced the prize money, Mrs Doyle thought it was a scam.

Once convinced, her and husband Peter took "quite a while" to decide what to do with it.

Most of all, she said it had given them the "gift of time".

Ruth Doyle Two smaller dogs lying on a sofa.Ruth Doyle
The couple now rescue dogs from Romania, volunteering for a charity

After paying off their mortgage, the pair decided to support the Bristol Children's Hospital charity by purchasing a Shaun the Sheep statue, which is in their living room.

This particular Shaun had spent time at Paddington station.

Another cause close to their hearts is rescuing dogs in Romania.

With a rescue pet from the country herself, Mrs Doyle was able to fund a trip there, taking some aid to feed animals at a shelter and bringing some back to be fostered and find new homes.

30 years of the lottery: Alan Dedicoat remembers three decades of jackpots – and when things all went wrong.

If you are one of the lucky ones to get a big win, she recommends sitting back for a few weeks, coming to terms with it and discussing.

"Depending on your age and personality, it all becomes clear," she said.

They carried on working, but planned to make sure they would have more time to spend with others.

When Ruth had to take redundancy a couple of years later, she did not have to find another job and Peter retired early.

Now in their 60s, she said that without the win "our life would be so much different".

"It has all meant more time together, with friends, family and on their interests," she added.

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