Couple raffle their South Shields home for Grace House Christmas charity fundraiser

Adam and Liz Thwaite have entered their three-bedroom house as a prize in an online initiative to help get the family’s fundraiser over the line for the wheelchair-accessible facility at Grace House in Sunderland.

Their aim is to donate £50,000 to the charity – where Liz works – if they manage to sell 200,000 tickets before December 24.

Based in Southwick, Grace House supports children with additional needs across the North East.

The draw is set to take place on Christmas Eve, with the possibility of making donations as small as one pound to enter.

Adam, who works at the Alexander Battery Technologies firm in Peterlee, told The Gazette that word of the fundraiser has spread fast.

"A lot of people we know at Grace House who’ve been sharing our story and telling their friends about it,” he said.

“It started with me spotting other families who’d raffled their houses and moved out to Australia and places like that. I became really interested in the idea and started following what they were doing.

"Then, after speaking with Liz about the swing and how difficult it’s been to raise money during the pandemic, I said to her, ‘Why don’t we have a go at this?’”

The fundraiser is gaining considerable momentum, having shifted more than 3,000 tickets on Monday, November 15, and taking overall sales past the 10,000 mark.

Adam has sought to drum up some extra support through a number of parody music videos, with wacky takes on Queen and Vanilla Ice proving a hit among online buyers.

Commenting on the Thwaites’ Christmas drive, Grace House’s corporate fundraiser, Laura Forbes, said: “This is an incredibly generous way to support a charity and we are delighted Adam and Liz chose Grace House.

"The family are all working so hard to sell the tickets and are determined to raise as much for us as possible. If you are able to share their story to help raise awareness it would be appreciated!”

Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest football stories and new puzzles every day.

With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Click here to subscribe.