German family looks forward to Banburyshire canal holidays after winning Christmas raffle for £50k narrowboat

Stephanie and Ingo Lenz were keen followers of boater Mae Mansfield who put her narrowboat home up for grabs to raise money to build another from scratch.

Mae met Mr and Mrs Lenz last week to hand over the keys to the boat and said it could not have gone to a more deserving couple.

"They both who have such big hearts. I can tell from the short time of knowing them; they do a lot for others. This will be a wonderful adventure for them.,” said Mae.

Mrs Lenz described the shock and delight of discovering she had won the raffle, which was drawn on Christmas eve.

“I live with my husband Ingo and our three daughters in Germany. We have followed Mae on her YouTube Channel for nearly two years. When the raffle started we wanted to support Mae,” she said.

“Of course there was this tiny voice - what if I or Ingo won? Finally it was Christmas Eve and the raffle ended. My parents, my parents-in-law and my family sat around the table ready to start Christmas Dinner and gift-giving. In Germany it's s tradition to do this on Christmas Eve.

"My daughters knew the time the raffle ended, so they were on their phones. Suddenly they started to shout: ‘Mama, you won!’. And the first tears of joy welled in their eyes. I refreshed the raffle page, scrolled down and there was my profile picture! So unbelievable!

"My parents and my parents-in-law were sceptical and thought it was a scam. But then I got a phone call from Mae. She's such a lovely person.

"It took a few days to really sink in – I had really really won a boat!”

Mrs Lenz and her husband had talked about what would happen if they won the boat.

"For both of us it was clear that we would take the boat and see what happens this year. We'll spend our holidays on the boat because we both work in Germany – me as an educator and Ingo as a nurse – and our daughters still go to school.”

The boat is a 62ft traditional, 4-berth narrowboat with a diesel-powered engine, is fully off-grid and has a multi-fuel Rayburn stove.

Mae said: “When I first thought of this idea, I honestly didn't think it would work. But it’s true that you don't know until you try and it couldn’t have worked out better.

“I had a lot of support but it was also hard; I had a lot of back-lash from the online world but I was motivated by gifting the boat, meeting them in person and seeing their smiles. It couldn’t have been won by a more deserving couple.

“I feel nostalgic over leaving the boat behind as she was the catalyst to everything wonderful in the last four years, from creating an online community and being on Narrow Escapes on Channel 4, to overcoming emotional and physical obstacles - getting over a 9-year relationship or opening the impossible swing bridge single handed! This life has made me very strong and I will look back fondly on the memories.”