Swansea Millionaire Street

A stunned mum has told how she went from agony to ecstasy after scooping a share of £1 Million on People's Postcode Lottery - just hours after leaving hospital following a freak roller-skating injury.

Gemma Archer bagged £90,909 less than 24 hours after undergoing major surgery on her broken wrist and forearm.

The astonished mum-of-three suffered the serious injury on Easter Sunday after her first try at a new hobby went horribly wrong.

Gemma, of Swansea, Wales, said: "Yesterday, I was in hospital having an operation and the very next day I've won over £90,000.

"I'm still in shock. I couldn't breathe. It's life-changing. I just really, really wasn't expecting it. It's really strange as it doesn't happen to people like me."

Gemma was among 11 neighbours sharing the Millionaire Street prize after SA1 6XS in Swansea was announced as the winner today. Each ticket was worth £90,909.

Gemma said: "It’s been a very big 24 hours. I only found out I'd won something at 10am this morning when Postcode Lottery knocked on my door. A few hours later I got given a huge cheque with some of my neighbours."

Gemma endured the unfortunate accident after her first time roller skating two weeks ago.

She said: "Me and my friend thought we'd take up a new summer hobby and we tried roller skating. And I lasted 10 minutes.

"It was a just small fall, but I landed really awkwardly. I did a good job of it. I really broke everything in my lower arm, and I had the operation yesterday to try and fix it all. I got a plate and screws fitted to put it all back together."

But despite the serious injury, it hasn’t deterred Gemma from lacing up her skates again.

She said: "I have ordered all the protective elbow, wrist and knee padding. I'm going straight back to try again... once I've healed."

It's not the first time Gemma has required surgery after fracturing her elbow while taking a tumble on a night out with friends some years ago.

Now she's quickly hoping to put her winnings to use for a fun holiday.

Gemma said: "Me and my best friend are going on holiday together. I'm going home to book one now.

"I actually missed out on a girl’s holiday to Morocco last year, so I might go there."

She also can't wait to splash out on her three sons.

Gemma said: "I have three boys, and they are going to have an amazing year - holidays and whatever they want."

Gemma's friends had promised to take her out for the day to take her mind off her injury but now she says she'll be taking them out to kickstart her celebrations.

She said: "My original plan was to go on a day out with my friends, they were going to pick me up and distract me from the pain. But I'll take them out for lunch and drinks.

Gemma added: "I might have a little party with the children tonight and a nice big bottle of champagne."

Former neighbour Kay-Marie Astley scored £90,909 with her previous postcode despite not living on the winning street for six years.

Kay-Marie said the money will be life-changing for her and her son.

She said: "It's generational, this money hasn't just impacted me but pretty much every generation that's going to come after us.

"It means that freedom of choice that I've never had before. When it hits the bank account it'll be wow!"

Kay-Marie, now living in Resolven, a small village outside Swansea, had called up Postcode Lottery and said she was moving house and would need to cancel her ticket.

The mum-of-one was full of thanks to a Postcode Lottery employee for informing her that she could keep playing the lottery with her old postcode.

Kay-Marie said: "We were renting here and our lovely landlady retired and had to sell the property. We got offered a little place and it was with a heavy heart that we left.

"It was someone at the lottery when I rang up to cancel it, the lady said 'you know you can play with both postcodes'.

"I'm very glad I did it otherwise I wouldn't have won today."

Kay-Marie spoke of her joy at being reunited with her previous neighbours on such a special day.

She added: "I feel like I'm dreaming to be back here and for this to have happened. It's been great catching up with old neighbours and it's been even better to know that many of them have also won."

Another £90,909 cheque holder was Dimuthu who only started playing the lottery at the beginning of the year after seeing someone winning on Facebook.

Dimuthu couldn't believe his luck when his winning sum was revealed.

He said: "This is crazy. I've got a sore face from smiling."

The care home care assistant moved to the UK from his home country of Sri Lanka in 2022 to study at the University of South Wales.

Dimuthu said: "I'll live the same, but my life will be changed. I won't change my job, I enjoy my job. When I go to work many of the people we care for feel alone but we try and make them happy and make it a new home for them."

Now the keen traveller plans to save much of his winnings for the future but already has some dream trips lined up.

He said: "I love to travel and for my next vacation I plan to go to Germany for one week, but I might go to USA before that. I've always wanted to go there."

Dimuthu called his mum and dad in Sri Lanka after receiving his huge prize.

He said: "I spoke to my parents in Sri Lanka and they couldn't believe it. I sent a picture to them of me with the cheque and Postcode Lottery so they would see it wasn't a scam."

Others on the street who took home £90,909 were Balazs Barta, Tracey Garey and Alan Williams.

The neighbours' win also means funding for a range of local charities, including The Orchard Project which has received £50,000 from Postcode Community Trust.

It has supported and trained volunteers who care for an orchard in North Hill Community Garden, located at the end of the winning street - and they are the only national charity dedicated to the creation, restoration and celebration of community orchards.

Its aim is for everyone in cities across the UK to be within walking distance of a thriving, community-run orchard. And over the last five years, the charity has planted and restored a network of 32 community orchards across the city, engaging over 2,000 people in orchard training and community events.

Abby Cremin, Head of Operations and Programmes, said: "This incredible support from People's Postcode Lottery ensures that we will be able to plant and care for more orchards across the city this year, train at least 100 new volunteers to care for them, whilst continuing to support our existing network of 32 orchard groups to build skills and confidence.

"Thanks to the players of People’s Postcode Lottery we can create more orchards in community areas, but also in schools, and that's a really important part of what we do. We want to help children to connect with nature and learn where their food comes from and also how important orchards are for nature and biodiversity."

Amazing Charities

Today's prize is part of a draw promoted on behalf of Postcode Education Trust. Supported by our players, this trust delivers grant funding to organisations that provide education, particularly in emergency situations. Benefitting charities include Save the Children, Theirworld and UNICEF UK.

Players aren't the only ones who benefit from People's Postcode Lottery. A minimum of 30% of each ticket price goes to charities and good causes. Thanks to our fantastic players, more than £1.5 Billion has been raised for thousands of deserving projects.

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