Britain’s first guaranteed million-pound house draw will raise crucial funds to support young people with cancer through the coronavirus crisis.
The home on offer is in Cheadle Hulme and the campaign is being backed by Line of Duty star Vicky McClure and Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson.
It is being run by US charity fundraising platform Omaze, which is championed by Hollywood stars including Daniel Craig, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jennifer Lawrence.
Omaze is teaming up with Teenage Cancer Trust to help them continue supporting young people with cancer during the coronavirus crisis.
The Omaze Million Pound House Draw will raise funds to ensure the charity’s frontline specialist nurses and youth support teams can continue to provide outstanding care for vulnerable young people with cancer, amidst the pandemic and beyond.
Los Angeles-based Omaze has already raised more than £100m for more than 300 charities around the world thanks to its approach to fundraising. It has now set up a dedicated UK team.
The organisation offers entrants incredible incentives to support good causes - ranging from once-in-a-lifetime celebrity experiences to luxury prizes including super-cars and exotic holidays.
Previous winners have played mini golf with Bono, lunched with George and Amal Clooney at their Lake Como home, watched the Game of Thrones series finale with Emilia Clarke, enjoyed a Valentine’s date with Idris Elba and driven a tank with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
One winner even collected the keys to a white Lamborghini Huracan signed and blessed by Pope Francis himself.
The million-pound Cheadle Hulme dream home comes with a hot tub and all costs covered for the first year. People can enter via post or purchase multiple entry bundles online at omaze.co.uk - starting from just £10.
There will also be 2,000 runner-up prizes including a Tesla Model 3 Long Range, one of the first MINI Cooper S Electrics and a £10k Home Tech Hamper.
Omaze’s long-term donation target for Teenage Cancer Trust is £2.6m, which could cover the total running costs of all the charity’s services in the North West for two years.
Matt Pohlson, Omaze’s founder and chief executive, said: “We’re honoured to partner with Teenage Cancer Trust and help them reach a new audience of potential donors to raise as much money as possible.
“The care they provide to vulnerable patients is incredibly important, especially during these unprecedented times. This is the first of many UK campaigns to support these types of urgent needs.”
Eighty per cent of the draw profits will be going directly to Teenage Cancer Trust with a minimum donation of £70,000 being donated with immediate effect to kick start the campaign.
Kate Collins, chief executive of Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “Cancer won’t stop for anything, and during this time of uncertainty young people need our support more than ever before.
“Our team of specialist staff are doing all they can to help young people with cancer in incredibly difficult circumstances. At the same time, some of our nurses have been drafted in to help the NHS cope with the increasing pressures being applied by the coronavirus outbreak.
“Our youth support teams are having to adapt and find new ways to provide essential emotional support to young people remotely, many of whom are feeling more isolated than ever before whilst still coming to terms with a cancer diagnosis.
“Our income this year could drop by as much as 50 per cent, so we urgently need to raise another £5m to maintain our frontline services. That’s why we have started a crucial fundraising appeal so we can respond to this situation and rapidly adapt the way we offer support.”
Kate added “Partnering with Omaze is a vital way for us to complement that appeal. Its pioneering digital approach to fundraising will help us ensure our frontline staff can continue providing exceptional care to young people and their families during this difficult time.
“This Omaze campaign will help continue to support young people throughout this pandemic, and beyond.”
Omaze has already raised more than £3m for good causes across the UK, including a £1.1million donation that enabled the building of children’s hospice Julia’s House in Dorset, which came from an Omaze partnership with Robert Downey Jr and Guy Ritchie.
It has also previously linked up with big-name British talent including Benedict Cumberbatch, the Spice Girls and Emilia Clarke.
Draw entries are now available at www.omaze.co.uk – the Omaze Million Pound House Draw is open until midnight on Thursday November 12, 2020.