Samantha Giles has urged people thinking of forming their own lottery syndicate to support one that "can make a big difference" for a cause close to her heart.
Best known for her role as Bernice Blackstock on the ITV soap Emmerdale, Samantha has a starring role in The Syndicate. It is a stage comedy which follows a group of lottery winners and is based on the BBC drama of the same name also penned by Kay Mellor.
Given the lottery theme, the mum-of-two was keen to promote the Claire House Hospice lottery, which is vital to helping seriously and terminally ill children and their families. She is a keen supporter of the hospice since visiting and getting to see their work first-hand.
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She said: "We’ve all dreamed about winning the lottery and the Claire House lottery is a fun way that people can support seriously ill children. It’s not just about winning, it’s also about raising money and helping people, which is key.”
“I’ve got two girls. And, in the last few years, I’ve written some children’s books, so I have a vested interest in children and what they’re going through. The last book I wrote, Heart of A Lion, is yet to be published but is very special to me.
"It’s about a child with heart disease and another child who was diagnosed with a brain tumour. My friend’s daughter was born with congenital heart disease and had two major strokes.
"She did get a heart transplant, but very sadly she died just over a year ago, a few weeks before her 18th birthday. I can’t imagine what my friend, and other parents who lose children must go through. Nobody should lose their child. Families need every bit of support, as do the children who are dealing with different health conditions."
The 52-year-old said Claire House is "an amazing place" and "does lots for children and their families" at what is undoubtedly the worst period of their lives. The hospice helps seriously and terminally ill children live life to the full by creating wonderful experiences and bringing back a sense of normality to family life.
In The Syndicate, which has been on stage at Wirral's Floral Pavilion this week, Samantha plays kind-hearted Denise who is one of the the five supermarket workers involved in the lottery win. She appeared alongside Coronation Street’s Brooke Vincent as well as former Emmerdale co-star Gaynor Faye.
The show’s New Brighton dates meant Samantha could spend time at home in Liverpool with daughters Eve, 15, and Olivia, 11, before she’s back touring the county.
Samantha added: “I’m sure many people are in lottery syndicates. With the Claire House lottery, the more people that do it, the more people Claire House can help. It’s a relatively small amount of money for people to find [£1 per week] but it can make a big difference to others. And it’s a lot of money to win [whether it’s £1,000 or £10,000].”
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