A Southampton resident has won £12,000 by supporting a charity's lottery.

Edward Allen won the prize in the Make a Smile lottery.

Make a Smile supports scores of charities, and Edward supports Heartbeat, a charity raising vital funds for the UK's Centre of Excellence Wessex Cardiac Unit based at University Hospital Southampton.

Edward, who lives in Southampton, started playing the lottery recently with the aim of supporting the charity and said: "My dad had heart problems and I have a brother with heart problems too, so I donate what I can."

"For just £1 a ticket, I stood to win thousands of pounds as well as supporting a charity that does such a huge amount for people with heart disease and their families."

When he received the phone call informing him that he had won the £12,000 prize, he was shocked.

"Actually, more than shocked,” he said. "I don’t play to win, and I certainly didn’t expect I’d win £12,000!"

Heartbeat commits to offering patients, friends, and relatives the best care and support throughout what can be a long and complex cardiac treatment journey.

Tanya Harder, Make a Smile's community fundraising and marketing manager, said: “Make A Smile lottery helps so many not-for-profit organisations make a positive difference and secure their future. It’s a fabulous way for anyone to help their favourite charity receive a regular income to support their work – plus, you could be in with a chance to win big money every week.

"We’re so grateful and appreciative of our Heartbeat supporters, like Edward, as they continue to help us fundraise against pioneering projects to improve heart health. We’d like to thank him and everyone else who enters the Make a Smile lottery on our behalf, you are all truly amazing individuals."