Rugeley Millionaire Street

PROUD Peter Beer waved a People's Postcode Lottery cheque for £71,428, then thanked his late gran for the win.

Peggy Beer got grandson Peter to sign up for our lottery after getting a leaflet through her door - before she died in 2019.

Now Peter, of Rugeley, Staffordshire, said they will raise a glass to his beloved grandmother after he continued to play after she passed away.

The computer repair firm owner said: "My gran saw one of the leaflets for Postcode Lottery at the time, and we decided to go for it.

"We thought it would be something different - and for good causes - so she asked me to sign up.

"My gran would be over the moon. She would be hysterical, an emotional wreck, if she was still here today. She was an amazing woman, and it's a shame she's not here to see this. We'll definitely raise a glass to her."

He added: "It is so unexpected. I always thought it would be a low amount. This is life-changing."

Peter celebrated with 11 neighbours in Rugeley after WS15 1JX bagged our weekly £1m Millionaire Street prize today. Every winning ticket was worth £71,428, but one player tripled their prize to £214,284 with three tickets.

And the friendly neighbours all whooped with delight as they stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the street and found out what they'd won together.

Now Peter wants to treat his parents, John and Josie, and his part-time cleaner partner, Zara Davies.

He said: "I'll probably do a bit of home improvements for my mum and dad. My partner needs a holiday, bless her. We'll have to sit down and think about where we're going."

And he hopes to push the boat out when he celebrates a landmark birthday later in the year.

He said: "It's my 40th in November. I'll hopefully have a holiday around my birthday."

A few doors along, Glenda Cowley and her partner of almost 30 years, Tony Law, doubled their winnings after she persuaded him to join the lottery, too.

After they both pulled out cheques for £71,428, Glenda said: "This is a bit surreal. You always think it will happen to someone else and not you.

"I've been playing Postcode Lottery for quite a few years, and I persuaded Tony to do it as well. Now he's a winner, too, which is fabulous.

"When I got the phone call to say I'd won, he said, 'I do it as well. Does that mean I've won?' I said, 'Probably'.

"I didn't quite believe it. It's fabulous, an amazing amount of money to do things with."

Retired carer Tony said: "I feel great that Glenda persuaded me to sign up."

Now Glenda - who has two sons, four grandchildren, and a great-grandson - wants to trade in her burgundy Ford KA+. But she hasn't quite nailed down the type of car, just the colour.

The former civilian police worker laughed: "I want another yellow car. I used to have a yellow Citroen DS3, but someone went into it, and it was written off. I want another yellow car. It sounds really daft. The car I've got is burgundy, and it's a bit boring, really."

But there will also be presents for the family and a holiday for the couple.

Glenda said: "We'll do something for the family. And there will be a nice weekend coming up for us somewhere.

"We already have a holiday booked to Wemyss Bay ... we love Scotland. It's beautiful and has just got something else."

Hardworking Nigel Hicks revealed he'll make a plan for his winnings with his wife Tracey when they go to Morocco on a planned holiday.

Nigel was stunned when his windfall was revealed after a countdown by Postcode Lottery ambassador Judie McCourt.

He said: "I was pretty calm when you knocked the door, but I felt a little bit overwhelmed when I pulled the cheque out the envelope because it's an awful lot of money and there's so much you can do.

"I'm really looking forward to sitting down with Tracey and actually deciding what we're going to do and what we're going to spend it on."

Nigel, who has three children and three grandchildren, already has a few plans in mind. They include some home improvements ahead of his retirement in around five years' time and treating his children.

The plumbing and heating firm estimator said: "I'm a bit boring because I'm practical, so I'm thinking I need to redo all the driveway, all the carport needs doing ... stuff on the house really.

"It'll be a great help to actually finish because I've been working on the bungalow for four years, with a full-time job, so we'll get a lot more done a lot quicker to make it a lot more comfortable."

Before then, Nigel and Tracey - who met at 15 and were married at 18 - can enjoy a planned holiday to Morocco and take time to soak up the win.

He added: "I'm sure when we're on holiday in Morocco we'll be making big plans as to what to spend the money on and what we need to do.

"I'm really looking forward to sitting down with Tracey and actually deciding what we're going to do and what we're going to spend it on."

Across the road, Margaret Humphries had the support of her sister-in-law, Alice Boot. After Margaret's beloved husband Tom passed away more than 18 years ago, she has valued her friendship with Alice.

She said: "She's my sister-in-law, but to me she's my sister." Thanks to Margaret's win, the pair are now planning some travels together.

After seeing her winning amount, Margaret said: "My first words were, 'We can go to Colwyn Bay'. I haven't been for a long time. Since I was 18.

"Lanzarote's nice and Alice has never been to Lanzarote, so waaayyyyy Lanzarote! Here we come!"

The former Asda worker also wants to use her winnings to hire a decorator. She said: "I'm going to have a decorator in to not do it myself so I can just go, 'Carry on,' and I haven't got to lift a paintbrush or get the steps.

"If I've won money, I can have a man in to do it!"

Margaret admitted it might take some time for the win to fully sink in, adding: "I'm still feeling on top of the moon, ecstatic and can't be real! Can't be mine. Can't be me!"

Nearby, neighbour Janet Cooper wants to treat her family. Janet said: "We're alright. It's just the children and grandchildren really that we should look after. There's nothing we want in our time of life. We've got what we want."

The grandmother-of-two was celebrating her win with her husband of 63 years, Dennis. The couple have even received a special letter from HRH King Charles and Queen Camilla to celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary.

Mum-of-three Janet added: "I might have a diamond ring, you never know!"

The winners all started playing to support local, national and international charities.

Glenda summed it up by saying: "It's really good to win with neighbours. It's good that it's all shared, with money going to local charities as well. It's brilliant that they are getting the benefit, too."

Now they are delighted that charities in and around Rugeley have benefitted from their Millionaire Street win.

And one local organisation, Help A Squaddie, has been awarded £100,000 by Postcode Community Trust.

The charity is dedicated to supporting veterans who are struggling with mental health issues, physical disabilities or financial hardship.

Help A Squaddie runs weekly café drop-ins and a food bank at St John's Church, near Rugeley, for veterans and the wider community.

Their main facility is The Russell Aston Home for Veterans, a four-bedroom facility that serves as a veteran care centre.

Kerry Urquhart, Chief Executive Officer of Help A Squaddie, said: "Our mission at Help A Squaddie is simple - to ensure no veteran is left behind.

"Over the past 10 years, we've gone from supporting a handful of veterans to over 300 people using the service each year."

The Russell Aston Home for Veterans was opened in 2023 and was named after Russell Aston, who was tragically killed in Iraq on 24 June 2003, aged 30. Many of the people involved with the charity have a close connection to Russ, making the Home a special place for the community.

The four bedrooms in the property are named after fallen soldiers, including Simon Valentine, Gareth Thursby, Leon Spicer and Christopher Davies. The house is a lasting legacy of the five men.

Kerry added: "The funding we have received today will go towards the maintenance of The Russell Aston Home for Veterans and help us bring on a new staff member, which we have been looking to do for quite some time."

"We are a lifeline for veterans across Staffordshire, so this funding will be critical in enabling us to continue providing care for those in need."

Other local organisations who have been awarded funding include:

• Border Collie Trust GB - £50,000. A border collie and collie cross rescue centre situated in the heart of Staffordshire. They rescue and rehome around 400 collies every year with purpose-built kennels. They also offer help and advice to collie owners.

• Lea Hall Miners Welfare Centre - £40,000. A centre at the heart of the community providing a place where local people of all ages can engage in a variety of activities to improve their physical and mental well-being.

All funding was awarded by Postcode Community Trust.

Thousands Of Good Causes

Today's prize is part of a draw promoted on behalf of Postcode Planet Trust. Supported by our players, this trust delivers grant funding to organisations that work to protect and promote our environment and wildlife. Benefitting charities include Marine Conservation Society, Peace Parks Foundation and The Wildlife Trusts.

With a minimum of 30% of each ticket price going to charities and good causes, players of People's Postcode Lottery have now raised more than £1.4 billion for thousands of projects and groups. Our players are changing lives for the better.

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