Selsey Millionaire Street

A former judo black belt is in the market for two new knees after bagging over £142,000 and he'll treat his wife to a double hip replacement.

Chris won a share of our Millionaire Street prize and says he can splash out on private healthcare to speed up double knee and hip ops.

The grandad said, "It's the sort of thing you dream about, and you think it's never going to happen. Now I can buy my wife two new hips and me two new knees."

Lucky Move

Now cheerful Chris and his wife Anne are going to treat their family and complete house renovations after a lucky move to the seaside town brought the pair newfound wealth.

He said, "It's been a lucky move. If we stayed where we were we wouldn't have had this winning postcode. It feels magic."

Chris shared £1 Million with five neighbours in Selsey after PO20 9BA landed our weekly Millionaire Street prize today.

Chris and four others living on the winning street pocketed £142,857 each. A sixth neighbour doubled their prize to a whopping £285,714 thanks to playing with two tickets.

The thrill seeker - who also used to race motorbikes - admitted his sporting past has taken its toll on his body and he's ready to put his feet up after scoring the six-figure windfall.

Chris said, "I started judo at 35 years old, so I was a veteran when I started, and it does take its toll. Joint wear is a problem, particularly in the knees.

"And they used to have a saying which was 'You don't judge a judo player by the belt around his waist; you judge them by the number of knee operations they've had."

Chris, who used to run a judo club with his friend, played competitively for over 20 years achieving the coveted black belt status in the late 80s.

He added, "My wife unfortunately is in need of a couple of new hips so we might speed that up and go private, and we'll give the family and the grandkids some and generally save the rest for a rainy day.

"This money means we could go private rather than the NHS, even though they've been really good so far."

Chris, who is still working, has owned small removal and data management businesses throughout his life and still has a vested interest today.

The couple moved to the street last April and they both admitted to feeling especially lucky after their new postcode was drawn as the winner.

Chris said, "If you have a day like today in your life, it's something you're always going to remember. It doesn't come every week.

"We've played Postcode Lottery for years with our last postcode and in our house before that as well."

He added, "We're getting to the end of our renovation work since we moved in 11 months ago and this will definitely help to finish off our house."

The pensioners plan to celebrate their big win with their two sons - a judo coach and a physiotherapist - and their two granddaughters with a hotel stay and restaurant dinner.

Chris said, "FaceTime will be going ten to the dozen later on today telling our family this amazing news. We'll give them a little bit of help, as you like to do as a parent and grandparent."

Chris and Anne, who have been married for over 56 years, plan on marking their diamond wedding anniversary in style.

Chris said, "We've celebrated our gold and silver anniversary and we're a few years away from our 60th. So, we'll put some money aside to celebrate with all our family and friends."

Moving Up

Another winner in Large Acres was Lynn, who also pocketed a whopping £142,857.

Lynn, who runs an embroidery company in Devon, said, "I'm still speechless. It's absolutely incredible and it'll be life-changing for me and my kids."

Mum-of-five Lynn is now planning on jetting off to New Zealand to visit her daughter.

She said, "My daughter has lived in New Zealand for seven years and I've not been across yet. So, I can afford to do it now. She'll be delighted."

Lynn is moving house in less than three weeks to be closer to her daughter, who is also her embroidery business partner, says her huge windfall will go a long way to making her new bungalow a home.

She said, "I'm moving on the 12th of April to West Buckland, in Devon, and this money will make things so much easier. I don't need to skimp about the furniture and decoration, and I can get it all thoroughly done and nice."

Lynn is also planning to share the winnings with her five children.

She said, "I can give something to each of the kids and help them get on the property ladder, et cetera. It'll make a massive difference."

Vital Funding Boost

Chris and Lynn were delighted to hear about the local charities benefiting from their lottery win.

Chris said, "I like to give to charities when I can, we support the local charity shops in the village, and because it's a charity-based lottery that's why I signed up.

"I didn't even know that local charities are getting funding because of our win. I like how the smaller charities are benefiting because they're the ones that need it the most."

And right on their doorstep, RNLI Selsey Lifeboat Station has been awarded £100,000 from Postcode Community Trust, thanks to players of People's Postcode Lottery.

Having been an integral part of the community for a staggering 163 years, RNLI Selsey Lifeboat Station completes an average of 50-60 rescues every year - some as far as 100 miles off the coast.

Rob Archibald, Coxswain at RNLI Selsey Lifeboat Station and who has recently celebrated 30 years of volunteering, said, "This is an incredible amount of money which means our focus can remain on doing what we do best and that's saving lives at sea. We can't thank the players of People's Postcode Lottery enough."

RNLI Selsey relies on fundraising and the hardworking and heroic volunteers from the community to keep saving lives at sea.

The current lifeboat station - home to a £2.6 Million Shannon-class lifeboat, one of the most technically advanced of its kind in the world, as well as a D-class lifeboat - is Selsey's fourth after rising tides pushed the coastline back over the past century.

With the RNLI celebrating its 200th year, the timely funding will cover the station's operational costs for another 12 months.

Rob said, "Fundraising and ensuring you have enough volunteers is always in the back of your mind, especially given each launch of the Shannon requires at least nine people and costs around £6,000."

He added, "We have an amazing team of 20 boat crew and 11 launch and recovery crew who ensure that whatever time of day or night, whatever the conditions, we're just 15 minutes away from being in the water after receiving a distress call - those minutes can make the difference between life and death."

Other charities in the area receiving funding thanks to Saturday's Millionaire Street prize win include:

• Selsey Community Forum - £70,000 Works as a partnership of local voluntary organisations in an isolated, rural community of 12,000 people. They support marginalised groups, identify and meet local needs and tackle inequality.

• Manhood Wildlife and Heritage Group - £10,000 A charity working to enhance the landscape, biodiversity and heritage of the Manhood Peninsula in West Sussex through community involvement.

• Youth Dream (Selsey) - £50,000 A mental health charity supporting young people living in Selsey and the wider area. They offer counselling and mentoring, as well as education support, clubs and activities.

• Chichester District Foodbank - £20,000 Provides nutritional food and support to local people who have been referred to them in a time of emergency. Part of a nationwide network of foodbanks supported by The Trussell Trust and working to fight poverty.

All funding was awarded by Postcode Community Trust (opens in a new tab).

Good Causes Everywhere

Today's prize is part of a draw promoted on behalf of Postcode Community Trust (opens in a new tab). Supported by our players, this trust supports smaller charities and good causes in Wales to make a difference to their community for the benefit of people and planet.

With 33% of the ticket price going to deserving projects, players of People's Postcode Lottery have now raised more than £1.2 Billion for thousands of charities and good causes across Great Britain, as well as internationally.

Have you been thinking about playing People's Postcode Lottery but not set up your subscription yet? There are Prizes announced every day. Find out more about How It Works. Sign up to play and join the fun.