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Swinton Millionaire Street
Stunned Kirsty Blackburn won £71,428 on the Postcode Lottery just weeks before she’s due to set off on a worldwide jaunt to live indefinitely in Vietnam.
26 September 2026
On top of the world
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Travel-mad Kirsty and her partner have quit their jobs to move 6,000 miles away after falling in love with the south-east Asian country on a family trip in March.
And after her bumper cheque was revealed, the BT Mobile worker said: "That’s going to help. I can’t believe that, at this part of my life, I’ve won this just as I’m about to go travelling. It’s amazing."
Kirsty shared £1 Million with 13 other neighbours in Swinton, Greater Manchester, after M27 5PU landed our weekly Millionaire Street prize. Every ticket was worth £71,428.
The windfall will boost a life-changing decision Kirsty’s already made with construction firm worker partner Lee Hogan.
Their adventure begins next month when they fly to Abu Dhabi for a couple of nights. They’ll then head to the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur for three nights, before travelling north to Penang for a week.
After a stint in Malaysia’s Langkawi archipelago, the couple will set out for Vietnam where they’ll base themselves.
We'll make memories
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“This is all going to go on making memories. We’ll just enjoy life.”
Two doors down recruitment firm worker Sarah Hodgkinson also has big family travel ambitions. Clutching her £71,428 cheque with husband Chris, the mum-of-one added:
"We don’t want our son to grow up and say his mum and dad lived in a four-bedroomed detached house with a Mercedes in the drive. We want to give him everything and travel the world. This means we can do it."
The couple were thrilled to be part of a group of 14 winners in the street. And Sarah even confessed that she’d knocked on all the doors in a bid to work out how many played the lottery.
She said: "I knew a lot of people in the street were in it, but I didn’t think the money would be this much. I’m really, really glad for all of them."
Gold pals act
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At the end of the cul-de-sac, mental health charity worker Craig Haworth told how he signed up after friends won a prize years ago.
Wife Jen recalled: "Our friends won a while ago and we were like, ‘right, we’re signing up’."
Craig laughed: "It was just because of blind jealousy that we signed up for it."
The couple won £1,000 within the first month of joining - but Jen shrieked when she clapped eyes on their latest win, as Craig pulled the £71,428 cheque from a gold envelope.
Now they are also eyeing travel treats with their daughters.
Craig said: "There is so much stuff we can do with this. A few weeks ago, we were planning all the boring middle-aged stuff like a kitchen and car repairs. Now we can do something for us as well."
The delighted neighbours all told how they joined the Postcode Lottery to support charities. Their Millionaire Street win means a string local organisations will get surprise funding boosts.
One charity, Salford Loaves and Fishes, has been awarded £50,000 thanks to funds raised by Postcode Lottery players. The long standing community organisation, based in Pendleton, provides practical, emotional and social support to anyone in need. They operate two busy centres which offer a safe, welcoming space for people facing homelessness, poverty, crisis, isolation or any challenges affecting their wellbeing.
Other charities in the area receiving funding include:
- Salford Unemployed & Community Resource Centre - £50,000 The charity helps people experiencing unemployment, poverty, debt and social disadvantage through a variety of support services, including welfare advice, legal representation, education and training.
- Swinton Lions Community Sports Foundation - £25,000 A community-focused foundation using sport, education and heritage activities to improve health, wellbeing, community engagement and opportunities for people across Swinton and Greater Manchester.
Deserving causes
Today's prize is part of a draw promoted on behalf of Postcode International Trust which supports organisations including ActionAid, British Red Cross and Mary’s Meals.
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.