A mum’s gut instinct turned into a £333,333 windfall after she convinced her son not to cancel Postcode Lottery when he left his old address - and now they’ll karaoke to ‘The Winner Takes It All’.
:focal(653x378:654x379))
"If it wasn’t for my mum, I wouldn’t be here now… simple as that."
Warehouse worker Lee Plant is still reeling after banking a third of a million pounds just two weeks after he nearly scrapped his ticket.
Now Lee says he owes it all to mum Wendy who told him to keep his lottery subscription running at his former address - despite moving back in with her.
Lee and two of his former neighbours in Meir, a suburb of Stoke-on-Trent, shared £1 Million when ST3 6AL landed our weekly Millionaire Street prize on Saturday 4 April. Each ticket was worth £333,333.
Crucially, though, he kept his old postcode active when playing.
:focal(732x289:733x290))
Van driver Julian Malbon was left weak at the knees after scooping £333,333.
Wife Josie was equally stunned, saying this kind of thing doesn’t happen to people like them.
"It’s a mind-blowing amount of money… I don’t even know where to start."
Now Julian and Josie are planning a dream holiday upgrade, with a Mediterranean cruise at the top of their wish list.
They also plan to share their good fortune with their three children and two young grandchildren.
)
The scale of the win hasn’t fully sunk in yet.
Lee said: "That’s a life-changing amount of money.
"I want to get myself a property… treat me mum, treat me friends… maybe go on holiday."
Julian said: "The main thing is the kids. We’ll give each of our kids money and that money will seep through to our five and eight-year-old grandchildren as well."
There are already plans for holidays - including a trip to Tenerife - and dreams of buying a new home.
One organisation, Gingerbread Family Support, has been awarded £75,000 thanks to Postcode Lottery players.
Jess Druce, Fundraising and Marketing Manager, said: "We are deeply grateful to Postcode Lottery players for their generosity. Their contributions are helping to change lives here in Stoke-on-Trent. The money donated truly shows that local pounds really do support local people."
The charity provides vital accommodation and tailored support to some of the most vulnerable families in the community.
Today's prize is part of a draw promoted on behalf of Postcode Education Trust which supports organisations including Save the Children, Theirworld and Right To Play 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 £1.7 Billion has been raised for thousands of deserving projects.
:focal(707x287:708x288))
)
)
)
)