A notorious skinflint won £10million on the National Lottery. “What are you going to do about the begging letters?” he was asked. “Oh”, he replied, “I shall keep sending them!”

How many of us have dreamt of winning a large sum of money and how we would spend it? Colin and Chris Weir had this dream come true when they recently won £161million on the Euro Lottery.

Unsurprisingly, they said it wouldn’t change their lives (although they have now had to move abroad to avoid the begging letters!) Well done Colin and Chris – I’m happy for you. But how I wish a similar sum might have been awarded to the people of Somalia and Kenya. Because just a few pounds for each family there will not only make their dreams come true, it will actually save their lives.

You may wonder how it is we live in a world where we throw away food that would feed nations of starving and choose to build bombs instead.

It has been said our choices reflect our character, but the people of East Africa never had that choice given to them.

“Life’s a Lottery” can be an easy catchphrase to explain away the world’s inequalities, but however we spin it – those of us with much owe something to those of us with little or nothing.

My governor says – what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet loseth his soul?

To put it another way, let’s be sure we take the time to determine the right priorities. – JOHN.