Gateshead Millionaire Street

A NEWLY-wed couple won a third of a million pounds then revealed they almost stopped playing after a previous win eight years ago.

Deborah told partner Paul to cancel their tickets after they each bagged more than £3,000 in our Postcode Millions event just two months after signing up in 2016 at a previous address.

But NHS worker Paul, of Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, ignored his then wife-to-be - going on to win twice more, and they even started playing with two tickets each.

Now the couple are celebrating after pocketing a cool £333,332 in today's Millionaire Street draw.

And the bumper payout comes just weeks after finding out they had each landed £2,000 in our £1,000 Daily Prize in June while sunbathing in Gran Canaria on their honeymoon.

Deborah said, "When we won the first time within a month or two of joining, I thought that would be it and we should just cancel but Paul refused and here we are.

"We could have said enough's enough after that first win eight years ago. Then we won £2,000 each in June. Even with those wins it's been worthwhile. But we never, ever dreamed we'd end up with as much as this."

Paul added, "You can't win if you don't play, and our life has just changed."

The couple, who both work for the NHS, shared £1 million with eight neighbours in Gateshead after NE9 6PZ landed our weekly Millionaire Street prize today. Every ticket was worth £83,333, but Deborah and Paul doubled their winnings as they played with two tickets each.

Their win comes just two months after all the players bagged £1,000 for each ticket they played with when the same postcode was drawn in our Daily Prize.

And a week earlier, nine neighbours in Blaydon-on-Tyne - just eight miles away - shared £1 million after NE21 5GB landed our Millionaire Street prize on 10 August. Every ticket was worth £111,111.

At first, Deborah and Paul - who share four children and five grandchildren - were each presented with a cheque for £83,333. Minutes later, they were left overwhelmed when our lottery team surprised them with a second cheque each, because they both had two tickets.

Now they aim to ramp up plans to look for a bigger home to accommodate their growing family.

Paul said, "You're having a laugh. I thought the first cheque was the two amounts together. I need a chair! Thank you very, very, very, very much. It is absolutely fantastic."

Deborah said, "I was very happy with the first two cheques and just assumed that was our two tickets combined. Then a little visitor surprised us and gave us another two cheques. That's when I started to get speechless.

"We had been hoping to move house anyway. We've got a two-bedroom home and five grandchildren. We need another room, and this will go to that.

"I'm not often lost for words. It means so much for us, we can help the four children and five grandchildren. That's what gives us happiness, if we can do things for the family.

Paul laughed, "There are five grandchildren at the moment, but they're still working on it, so it's only going to get worse!"

But Deborah said they might now have to boil their home hunt down to a street where there's a number 12 for sale.

She explained, "We married on June 12, had an evening wedding party on July 12 and found out we'd won the lottery on August 12.

"When we go for a new house, we'll have to try for a number 12."

Now the couple are dreaming of more holidays with the cash - and might also treat themselves to a new motor.

They are due to jet back to Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria, next week - the third time they've visited their favourite holiday spot this year. Then they're off to Disneyland Paris with the whole family in November.

Paul said, "We're happy going on holidays to Gran Canaria. Puerto Rico is our favourite place. We're quite easy-going and like what we like."

Deborah said, "Puerto Rico is our home-from-home. We can just relax there. We were on a sun-lounger in Puerto Rico on our honeymoon when we realised we had won £2,000 each in June."

Paul said of a new car, "It's a toss-up between getting the exhaust sorted or getting a new one. I'd quite like a Kia Sportage hybrid."

Along the road, Dave couldn't believe he was another triple winner - after he also scooped a win in the same Millions sector draw as Paul and a £1,000 Daily Prize too.

Dave joked, "This is the third time. Looking forward to seeing you the fourth time coming to the door."

The retired painter and decorator won £8,149 when his then-postcode sector, NE8 4, was announced as part of our Postcode Millions prize in 2016. Along with some smaller wins along the way, Dave and partner Mary also won our £1,000 Daily Prize in June.

Dave and Mary - who each picked up cheques for £83,333 - now plan to use some of their winnings on travel and already have a Canary Islands break lined up in a few weeks. The couple had organised the trip on the day they initially heard from our team to ask if they'd be available for a visit.

Part-time Morrisons pizza maker Mary said, "We had already booked [a holiday] the day we got the telephone call."

David added that Fuerteventura is a favourite destination of theirs and for their upcoming stay said, "We're going to try Corralejo."

Mary added, "All we need now is spending money."

They're also thinking ahead to future trips abroad. Mary said, "We always go away in January for my birthday."

And daughter Laura is encouraging her mum to treat herself to the holiday of her dreams.

She said, "She's wanted to go to Mexico for years. They love their holidays, so there will be a few extra ones."

The couple have been together for 44 years, reuniting after some time apart. Laura said, "There was a bit of a break in between."

The couple haven't looked back since and following his retirement, Dave's looking forward to the years to come after successful knee surgery. He said, "I had that one done in February and that one's getting done this year."

Young couple Jessica and Cameron had woken up at 5.00am with excitement after being told they'd won for the second time in two months.

Jewellery designer Jessica had also pocketed a £1,000 Daily Prize in June, just six months after signing up. Now she and partner Cameron are planning to tick off their holiday bucket list.

Jessica, struggling to contain her emotions, said, "We've been up since 5.00am. We couldn't sleep. I just kept thinking, 'It can't be'. I'm over the moon and just so grateful.

"I can't believe it. I'm sorry, I can't stop shaking. It's my birthday on the 29th - what a month! I've got to go out after this. It's my friend's birthday and we're going for a bottomless brunch in Newcastle."

Civil servant Cameron added, "This doesn't feel real. I couldn't sleep, it was like Christmas morning. It's life-changing. We like to spend money on holidays - tick off all the bucket list that we can."

The couple are considering a trip to Australia to see The Ashes at the end of next year after cancelling a previous holiday during the pandemic. And this time, they could tag a tour of Japan onto it.

They have already booked a getaway to Italy's Lake Garda planned next month, a couple's weekend in Benidorm, and a visit to New York early next year.

Jessica said, "We're going to New York in January and had already put the £1,000 we won straight into savings for spending money. Business class might be a good option now.

"My mum took me to New York for my 30th last year and I wanted Cameron to experience it.

"We don't have a family, so we like to spend our money. We work hard for it. That's our enjoyment - holidays. Do the bucket list when you can. Tick them off as you go."

Former professional cricketer Cameron said, "We're going to Australia next year and would like to go to Japan. We might link it together and make it one big, massive holiday."

But they also want to carry out improvements on the front and back gardens of their two-bed terraced home.

Cameron added, "We want to get the decking painted or redone in the front garden and replace the grass in the back garden with astroturf so that it's low maintenance."

Stunned neighbour Fiona screamed "Oh my God!" when she was presented with her cheque. She's now dreaming of "a nice holiday" and a shopping spree at the nearby Metrocentre complex for "a whole new wardrobe."

But the Primark worker revealed she and hubby Mark couldn't sleep the night before, and might have a different reason to lose some shut-eye now.

Fiona said, "I'm happy - I'm shocked - ecstatic. Mark's been like a cat on a hot tin roof. Now I'm not going to sleep because I'll not know what to spend the money on."

The neighbours all signed up to help support local, national and international charities.

Paul summed it up for them, saying, "This is a really cost-effective way of supporting a lot of charities."

And, because the 10 neighbours have won, it means local organisations will also benefit from this Millionaire Street prize.

And one of them, The Young Women's Outreach Project, has been awarded £65,000 by Postcode Community Trust.

The youth work project, based in the North East, provides a specialist service to young women aged between 11 and 19 years going through crises in their lives, which can include poverty, childhood trauma, sexual violence or domestic abuse.

Offering vital support, it's a safe space for more than 175 young women each week.

Project Development Manager Liz Oliver said, "We have one young woman who has been attending our sessions for over two years now and The Young Women's Outreach Project has quite literally saved her life.

"Her mental health was at an all-time low and she didn't leave the house. Our work at the charity completely transformed her life and provided her with confidence, resilience and a new outlook on her day-to-day."

The specialist youth work project offers one-to-one support and group sessions which are led by the women themselves. The group set their own agenda for the sessions and produce a tailored programme covering a wide range of activities to meet their goals and interests and push them out of their comfort zone.

Liz added, "Our referral numbers are increasing year on year, so the funding couldn't have come at a better time for us. It means we can continue delivering excellent youth work for young women and young mothers when they need us most."

Other local organisations who have received funding include:

• Gateshead Foodbank - £60,000 Providing nutritionally balanced food and support to local people referred to them in crisis. Supported by The Trussell Trust as part of a nationwide network of foodbanks.

• Blue Cabin - £50,000 Developing meaningful relationships between care-experienced individuals and the people or organisations who are part of their lives through creative activities.

• Gateshead Older People's Assembly - £40,000 Helping to improve the health and independence of over 50s in Gateshead through a programme of opportunities and activities supporting socialising, learning and exercising.

All funding was awarded by Postcode Community Trust.

Charities Everywhere

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 WWF-UK, Marine Conservation Society and The Wildlife Trusts.

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