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Paignton Millionaire Street
A couple are hoping their share of a £1 Million Postcode Lottery prize could help them strike it lucky in a search for something money cannot buy - their family roots.
24 October 2026
Family fortune
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Julie Hancocks and husband David won £90,909 and hope the windfall will help them trace their birth families.
Both were adopted, and the couple hope to discover whether they have relatives still out there as they prepare to celebrate 50 years of marriage next year.
Julie said: "Actually, I might spend some of this on genealogy. We’ve never traced anybody... we could now."
Julie was among ten neighbours sharing £1 Million in Paignton, Devon, after postcode TQ4 5LY landed our Millionaire Street prize. Each ticket was worth £90,909. One person on the street bagged £181,818 playing with two tickets.
Julie had already bagged £1,000 in May when the street landed the Daily Prize meaning everyone playing in the postcode won £1,000 for every ticket.
When asked whether she thought they would win again after the first prize, Julie replied: "We were both really happy but thought that's that."
Julie added: "We’ve just been given this vast amount of money. I still can’t believe it."
Double bubble
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Married couple Colin Cardin and Janine Cardin bagged a cool combined £181,818, thanks to having a ticket each.
The double windfall comes just months after they each scooped £1,000 in the lottery’s Daily Prize in May.
Colin, a former Royal Navy communicator, who served for over 25 years including the Falklands conflict, said: "I couldn’t believe it. As simple as that."
Colin is already eyeing up a luxury car, while the couple plan to upgrade their upcoming trips to New York and Florida, with first-class flights now firmly on the cards.
Janine, a retired council worker, said: "We could be going first class now."
She also joked: "I'll pay for the first-class seats on the way out, he can pay for the way back."
Delighted Dennis’
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Chris Dennis and wife Michelle were also left 'gobsmacked' after winning £90,909 - and their first priority is helping son Sam pay for his wedding to fiancée Lauren next May.
Michelle said she was keen to give something back to son Sam after he supported her through difficult times, including arranging and paying for a stairlift to be installed at their home while she was in hospital.
She said: "I can’t do a lot for him physically, but if I can help in other ways, then absolutely, it’ll be the first thing we do."
Chris, a retired mortgage adviser, said: "It’s a life changer, really. We can do so much."
He added: "It’s amazing that we are now in a position where we can make a contribution towards their wedding costs, we’ll get them over to ours for dinner and they can come prepared with a list and we’ll pay them off one-by-one."
Deserving causes
Today's prize is part of a draw promoted on behalf of Postcode Active Trust which supports organisations including the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, The Ramblers and Greenhouse Sports.
Players aren't the only ones who benefit from Postcode Lottery. A minimum of 30% of each ticket price goes to charities and good causes. Thanks to our fantastic players, more than £1.8 Billion has been raised for thousands of deserving projects.