Livingston mum Ella Walker donates four figure sum prize to local football team

Feb 18 2010 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

ELLA WALKER had a list of prizes in front of her, each worth a four-figure sum.

On offer for the Livingston mum was the glamorous prize of an Ultimate Night In.

That meant she could choose between a girls evening with all the trimmings, a specially designed boys night or a dinner for six cooked by a celebrity chef.

She read over the list carefully and took a minute to consider each of them before incredibly choosing to snub them all.

Instead the generous mum decided to donate the cash value of her prize to Murieston United Blues under 13s — the team her 12-year-old son plays for on a regular basis.

Because of her remarkable selfless act the Murieston coffers are to be boosted by a whopping £1000.

But modest Ella insists she’d rather see the prize go somewhere it will really be put to good use.

She explained: “It was a text competition I entered but as I’d never won anything in my life I didn’t expect to win.

“But, amazingly, I did and I won an Ultimate Night In with the Big Lucky Draw in December.

“I had the choice of a girly night in with pampering and that kind of thing, a man’s night with games consoles, casino night and beers or a meal for six cooked by a celebrity chef.

“But as I am disabled I don’t go out very much so I spoke to my husband and we agreed to give the cash equivalent to the boys football team.

“It was a brilliant prize but I really wanted to donate it to the boys.

“I wouldn’t have used the prize and I’d rather see it go to someone who would and I felt the boys were a good cause.”

Organisers at www.bigluckydraw.co.uk were stunned at Mrs Walker’s decision but obliged by donating high-street vouchers to the value of £1000 to the club.

And as a result of her generous donation the company have themselves decided to become main shirt sponsors for the club next season.

Tony Coyne of www.bigluckydraw.co.uk revealed: “It was a huge surprise to hear what Ella wanted to do and it was a great gesture.

“For someone to donate that kind of money is very impressive.

“This is why we are also sponsoring home and away shirts for the team next season.

“We are also going to invest in some training equipment and meet the costs of the registration fee for the annual tournament in Blackpool for the team this year and next.”