Lottery winner Pete launches drive
21 May 2006

Lottery millionaire Peter Lavery was back on the buses last night to help launch a charity challenge aimed at raising £100,000.

It's 10 years since the former Citybus driver became Ulster's first National Lottery winner when his numbers came up and he scooped £10.2m.

And to mark the anniversary, the 44-year-old got back behind the wheel of a Citybus to ferry guests from Belfast to his luxury home at Craigavad for the launch of the Peter Lavery Charity Challenge.

On arrival, several hundred guests were treated to champagne and anniversary cake.

Also present were representatives from the two Belfast hospitals and local charities set to benefit from his initiative - including The Rita and Charles Trust, which was set up in memory of his parents.

The big-hearted Belfast man said: "Over the past 10 years I've done lots of work for my own trust but I thought I could use the 10th anniversary to do a big one-off event.

"We hope to raise £100,000 over the next five or six months and £80,000 will be staying in Northern Ireland."

The charities benefiting will be the Northern Ireland Chest, Heart and Stroke Association, SPEAC, the Rita and Charles Trust and the two main hospitals. Money will also be donated to a village in Mozambique via children's charity UNICEF.