Christmas Postcode Millions 2011

Elizabeth Pringle has had, by her own admission, "a truly rotten year". Yet the mum of two and grandmother of three ended 2011 on a high with a welcome £500,000 - and she's earned it over the past 12 months.

The retired electronics worker explained "My daughter Wendy, 40, was diagnosed with breast cancer this year - she just came out of chemo yesterday. My other daughter, Lesley, 43, was involved in a horrible accident a few months ago and my son in law is currently recovering from a triple heart by-pass. Until today I just felt like luck had simply left us. I really can't put into words what this means to us, truly it's very special."

Originally playing with just a single ticket, Elizabeth Pringle doubled her winnings having taken advantage of a free promotional ticket offered by People's Postcode Lottery in December.

With her mum's two tickets netting her £250,000 each, daughter Wendy describes her mother as the most deserving woman she knows. "Mum held us together this year, her support has been incredible. I can't think of anyone who deserves this more, she's a real angel and she's our family's rock."

Elizabeth plans to treat her entire family and will take them on a fabulous holiday to Florida. She'll also give money to cancer charities, a cause very close to her heart.

Elizabeth won the lion's share of the £1,000,000 Christmas Millions prize. However, 225 other players living in the KY4 9 postcode sector also won prizes. These included Margaret Cant, who bagged £1,980 and a brand new BMW 1 series.

Cowdenbeath residents' fortunes were revealed at a champagne reception for a selection of some of the lucky winners. Presenter Judie McCourt announced the big winners, and said "Thank goodness Elizabeth took advantage of the free promotional ticket offered by People's Postcode Lottery. By simply filling in her details online, she has doubled her winnings, and is now having to decide how she will spend half a million pounds!"

As Great Britain's charity lottery, People's Postcode Lottery has awarded £15.7 Million to charities across the country, supporting a vast range of health, environmental, and children's charities.

Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres, who have a centre in nearby Kirkcaldy, have received more than £2.1 Million in unrestricted funding from People's Postcode Lottery. This amount covers the operating costs of a centre, such as the one in Dundee, for five years.

Ruth McCabe, Centre Head for Maggie's Fife said "The funding awarded to Maggie’s from People’s Postcode Lottery is unrestricted, which allows us to spend it where we see fit. Thanks to the players of People's Postcode Lottery, we can continue to broaden our service offerings, maintaining our dedication to supporting all those who are affected by cancer across Fife."