Hassocks Millionaire Street

TWO neighbours in Hassocks, West Sussex, have each scooped a whopping £408,990, and hundreds more are also celebrating wins.

Our weekly Millionaire Street prize landed in postcode BN6 8JZ today. Two players on Parklands Road won the lion's share of the £1 million prize.

The rest of the bumper bonanza was shared among 555 people in the wider BN6 8 postcode sector, with prizes ranging from £286 to £1,144.

Postcode Lottery presenter Danyl Johnson said, "Congratulations to the two players who have won life-changing amounts of money."

"Their joy will be shared by hundreds of their neighbours who are also Millionaire Street winners this week."

He added, "Their wins also mean that some charities in the area will benefit from the postcode area's good fortune."

And one local organisation, Age Concern Hassocks & District, has been awarded £50,000 in funding from Postcode Community Trust.

The charity's main aim is to combat loneliness in the elderly population of Hassocks and nearby villages, with its eldest patron 103 years old.

It offers a safe and welcoming place to get a cooked lunch, have a coffee and cake, and enjoy weekday activities such as table tennis and bingo, with a chiropodist, hairdresser, and manicurist all on site.

John Rose, a former civil servant of 42 years and now CEO of the charity, said, "This funding is quite unbelievable - we lose around £50,000 a year so this will enable us to do the things needed to make us more sustainable.

"We're going to put solar panels on the roof and replace our old gas ovens with electric so that we can create the energy we then use."

With 11 part-time staff and 50 volunteers - some far into their 80s and 90s - the charity has become a beacon of hope for the village of Hassocks.

John said, "It's about looking out for each other and starting a conversation; we found out one of our volunteers had never been on a plane in her life, so for her 100th birthday we clubbed together to take her up in a light aircraft.

"We can still bring joy to people's lives in their later years, whether that's a surprise like that or simply some company, and they deserve it."

Other charities in the area benefitting from the Millionaire Street prize include:

• Mid Sussex Voluntary Action - £50,000 An independent charity helping to bring together and develop local voluntary organisations and community groups. They provide advice, support, information and share useful knowledge.

• Hurst Festival - £15,000 A community organisation offering a programme of more than 80 local events every September over two weeks. They're celebrating their 20th year in 2024.

• Social Innovation for All CIC - £10,000 Social Innovation for All (SI4A) works with schools, partners and young people to create and provide educational experiences that support youngsters in achieving their creative potential and addressing social challenges.

• The Sussex Harmonisers - £5,000 The club advances, promotes and encourages the art of barbershop singing and four-part harmony in quartet and chorus form for adults of all ages. Their chorus groups perform at arts festivals, and community and public events.

All funding was awarded by Postcode Community Trust.

Charities Everywhere

Today's prize is part of a draw promoted on behalf of Postcode Earth Trust. Supported by our players, this trust provides regular grant funding to organisations that work to raise awareness and understanding of the natural, creative and built environment. Benefitting charities include Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Keep Britain Tidy and National Trust.

Our players are raising funds for charities and good causes across Britain and around the world. To date, People's Postcode Lottery players have raised more than £1.3 billion for thousands of deserving projects and organisations. That support is changing lives and making a huge difference every single day.

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