Charity lottery win helps Bolton mum buy dream cello 2026

Key Points

• Ilona Hepburn from Egerton, Bolton, has won a £10,000 rollover jackpot from the Derian House Children’s Hospice lottery after contributing £1 a week.
• She joined the charity lottery to support Derian House, where her late sister, music therapist Heather Rodgers, had worked before dying of cancer aged 33.
• The win was confirmed in a surprise phone call on Tuesday, 14 July, when Derian House deputy chief executive Caroline Taylor contacted Ilona with the news.
• Ilona plans to use the money to buy a high‑quality cello for her 20‑year‑old daughter, Lucy, a talented cellist studying at the Royal College of Music in London, and to fund a family holiday.
• The family had been struggling to afford a professional‑standard instrument suitable for Lucy’s advanced music studies.
• Ilona described the £10,000 prize as “the most amazing gift” and said it felt like “aunty Heather watching over us.”
• The Derian House lottery costs £1 per week, supports care for more than 400 babies, children and young people, and offers 41 weekly prizes including a £1,000 prize and a £10,000 rollover.
• Deputy chief executive Caroline Taylor said Ilona’s story moved hospice staff and that hearing how the money would help Lucy and fund a family holiday made the win “even more special.”

Bolton (Manchester Mirror) July 17, 2026 – Ilona Hepburn, a mother‑of‑three from Egerton in uk/local/bolton/">Bolton, secured the £10,000 rollover top prize through the Derian House Children’s Hospice lottery, which she had joined for £1 a week. As described in the hospice’s statement, the win was confirmed when deputy chief executive Caroline Taylor telephoned Ilona on Tuesday, 14 July to inform her that her lottery number had been drawn for the life‑changing jackpot.

According to the hospice’s own account, the Derian House Lottery gives every participating supporter a chance to win one of 41 weekly prizes, including a regular £1,000 prize and a larger £10,000 rollover that accumulates until it is claimed. Ilona’s entry, purchased as part of her routine weekly support for the hospice, happened to land on the rollover week, meaning she took home the full £10,000 top prize in one draw.

In comments released by the hospice, Ilona said that buying the ticket had been a simple act of support rather than a focused attempt to win: she had signed up to the lottery “because of my sister, Heather,” who had been closely involved with Derian House before her death. The call from Caroline Taylor confirming the win was therefore an unexpected development that combined financial relief with a powerful emotional connection to the hospice and to Heather’s memory.

Why did Ilona sign up to the Derian House lottery in memory of her sister Heather Rodgers?

Derian House Children’s Hospice has confirmed that Heather Rodgers worked as a music therapist at the hospice, supporting babies, children and young people receiving specialist care. Heather died from cancer at the age of 33, leaving a strong legacy among colleagues and families who remembered her dedication and the therapeutic role of music in children’s care. In its account of the lottery win, the hospice noted that Ilona’s decision to enter the £1‑a‑week draw was directly motivated by this personal link to Heather’s work and the support she had given to the charity.

In a statement released via Derian House, Ilona said, “I began supporting Derian House because of my sister, Heather.” She described how her family’s experience and Heather’s role at the hospice made the charity lottery a natural way to give back, even after Heather’s death. When the winning call came through, Ilona recalled looking at her daughter and saying that it felt like “aunty Heather watching over us,” explicitly linking the unexpected financial boost to her sister’s memory.

This connection was also highlighted by the hospice. Deputy chief executive Caroline Taylor said staff were “really moved” when Ilona explained why she had signed up, emphasising that the story resonated within the organisation because of Heather’s previous work there. By attributing the details of Heather’s age, role and illness to the hospice’s published information, Derian House underscored how the lottery both raises vital funds in Heather’s field of work and, in this case, provides tangible support to her family.

How will the £10,000 jackpot help Lucy’s musical studies and the family’s plans?

Derian House Children’s Hospice has reported that Ilona intends to use a significant portion of the £10,000 to buy a dream cello for her 20‑year‑old daughter, Lucy. Lucy is described by the hospice as a “very talented cellist” who is currently studying at the Royal College of Music in London, one of the UK’s leading conservatoires. The family had previously struggled to afford a high‑quality instrument that would match Lucy’s level of training and performance needs, making the prize particularly timely.

In her quoted statement, Ilona said,

“Winning this money has just been the most amazing gift. You have no idea how much this is going to help us.”

She indicated that the immediate priority was to purchase the advanced‑standard cello Lucy needs for her course and for potential future professional work. This focus aligns with the hospice’s description of the win as directly supporting Lucy’s education and long‑term prospects in classical music.

Alongside the instrument purchase, Ilona is also planning a family holiday funded by the windfall. In the hospice’s account, Caroline Taylor explained that hearing how the money would pay for a trip the whole family could enjoy “made it even more special,” underlining that the prize will deliver both educational and personal benefits. While specific travel plans have not been disclosed, Derian House’s description makes clear that the holiday is intended as a shared experience for the family after a period of financial pressure and bereavement.

What has Derian House said about the win and the impact of its £1‑a‑week lottery?

In the hospice’s report on the win, deputy chief executive Caroline Taylor is quoted as saying,

“When Ilona told us about her sister Heather and why she’d signed up to the lottery, it really moved us all.”

As attributed to Taylor by Derian House, this reaction reflects the staff’s response both to Heather’s previous service as a music therapist and to Ilona’s decision to support the hospice in her memory. Taylor added that “hearing how the money will help Lucy buy the cello she’s always dreamed of and give the family the chance to enjoy a holiday together made it even more special,” emphasising the practical and emotional impact of the prize.

According to Derian House, the charity lottery is a core fundraising mechanism. Participants pay £1 per week per entry, and the proceeds help cover the costs of care for more than 400 babies, children and young people with serious illnesses or complex needs. The hospice stresses that every entry not only supports its services but also gives players a chance to win one of 41 weekly prizes, including a £1,000 amount and the larger £10,000 rollover that accumulates over weeks until claimed.

By placing Ilona’s story alongside this explanation of the lottery’s structure, Derian House illustrates how individual supporters like her both contribute to and benefit from the system. The charity portrays the win as an example of how small, regular donations can, on occasion, return significant sums to families while sustaining specialist services, such as music therapy, that were central to Heather Rodgers’ work. This dual role of the lottery as an income stream for the hospice and as a potential support mechanism for donors is a key element in the organisation’s public communication about the prize.

How does the Derian House lottery support hospice services and families across the region?

Derian House has set out that its lottery operates on a £1‑a‑week entry basis, allowing supporters to participate at a relatively accessible cost while contributing to a larger fundraising pool. With 41 prizes offered every week, including a recurring £1,000 prize and the £10,000 rollover jackpot, the scheme is designed both to maintain donor interest and to generate consistent income for the hospice. The rollover mechanism means that if the top prize is not won in a given week, it carries forward and grows until a participant, like Ilona, eventually claims it.

In its description of services, the hospice notes that funds from the lottery help to care for more than 400 babies, children and young people. While specific budget figures are not provided in the report of Ilona’s win, the hospice points to its lottery as one of several vital income streams supporting clinical care, respite, family support and therapies such as music sessions of the kind Heather once delivered. The organisation stresses that regular, small‑scale contributions via the lottery can collectively finance significant aspects of this care.

By highlighting a major win like Ilona’s, Derian House also draws attention to the potential of lottery participation for supporters facing their own financial challenges. In this case, the £10,000 prize arrives at a time when Ilona’s family had been struggling to fund an appropriate cello for Lucy’s studies, underlining how the lottery can occasionally provide practical help to households while sustaining the hospice’s mission. The hospice’s communication suggests that this dual impact is a key part of its messaging around the scheme.

Background to the Derian House lottery win and Heather Rodgers’ legacy

Derian House Children’s Hospice, based in Lancashire, provides specialist care for babies, children and young people with serious or life‑limiting conditions, along with support for their families. The hospice has long used its £1‑a‑week lottery as one of several methods to raise funds for its services, positioning the draw as an accessible way for individuals and communities to contribute. Within this context, staff members like music therapists play an important role in the day‑to‑day experience of children receiving care.

Heather Rodgers, Ilona’s sister, worked at Derian House as a music therapist before her death from cancer at the age of 33. The hospice’s statement about Ilona’s win notes Heather’s role explicitly, recognising both her professional contribution and the impact of her loss on her family and colleagues. Music therapy is used in many children’s hospices to help young patients express themselves, manage pain and anxiety, and engage with their surroundings through sound and rhythm.

Ilona’s decision to support the hospice lottery was rooted in this family history and in a desire to honour Heather’s involvement with Derian House. Over time, that support translated into regular weekly entries that, ultimately, resulted in the £10,000 jackpot win. The hospice’s portrayal of the story emphasises this continuity between Heather’s work at Derian House, Ilona’s ongoing support in her memory and the eventual financial benefit to Ilona and Lucy.

Prediction: How could this development affect charity lottery players and hospice supporters?

Based on the details shared by Derian House, Ilona’s story is likely to resonate with people who have personal links to hospices or who have lost relatives connected to charitable care. For such audiences, the account of a £1‑a‑week supporter, motivated by her sister’s work at the hospice, receiving a significant prize while continuing to back the charity may reinforce the appeal of low‑cost, regular giving through lotteries. It may encourage some existing supporters to maintain or slightly increase their participation, seeing the lottery as both a fundraising tool and a possible source of financial relief in difficult times.

At the same time, charity lottery players and potential donors are likely to recognise that large wins such as Ilona’s remain relatively rare, given the structure of rollover jackpots and multiple smaller prizes. For many, the primary motivation may continue to be support for hospice services rather than the pursuit of a life‑changing payout, particularly when they have direct experience of the care provided, as in Heather’s case. However, high‑profile wins linked to compelling personal stories can help charities like Derian House communicate the impact of their work, potentially broadening their supporter base and strengthening loyalty among current participants.

Over time, similar stories may contribute to a more general perception among charity lottery audiences that regular, modest contributions can play a meaningful role in sustaining specialist care for children and families, even when individual players do not win large sums. For those already engaged with children’s hospices, Ilona’s experience may underscore the idea that supporting a cause close to home can sometimes result in direct, practical benefits that align with family priorities, such as education, music and shared time away together.