Sunderland Millionaire Street

Eight neighbours in a block of flats are celebrating together after sharing a £1 Million prize on People’s Postcode Lottery.

The players, who all live in a high rise in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, scooped £125,000 each after SR6 0DX won the weekly Millionaire Street draw.

Their windfalls come only weeks after four other players just 25 miles away in North Seaton, Northumberland, also shared a £1 Million pot.

And almost exactly a year ago, 11 people in nearby South Shields landed the same prize. Nine of the neighbours won £76,923 each with two others doubling their prize to £153,846 by playing with two tickets.

Postcode Lottery ambassador Judie McCourt said: "Congratulations to all our high rise high rollers. I hope they enjoy their windfalls.

"The North East has become a Millionaire Street magnet recently. Maybe we should now change Sunderland’s name to Won-derland!"

In the North East area last year there were a total of five Millionaire Street wins, including Whitley Bay in January, Newcastle in February, South Shields in May, as well as Blaydon-on-Tyne and Gateshead in August.

The Sunderland neighbours' win also means a string of local charities will receive a funding boost.

And one organisation - Love, Amelia - has received £30,000 from Postcode Community Trust, supported by players of People's Postcode Lottery.

Love, Amelia is a children's baby bank charity supporting families experiencing poverty and hardship, ensuring children don't go without the basic essentials they need to be safe, happy, and to thrive.

Steph Capewell, founder and chief executive, said: "We're delighted to receive support thanks to players of People's Postcode Lottery.

"This funding will make a real difference to children in our community, helping us reach more families in urgent need, while also connecting them with priority support to help tackle the root causes of hardship.

"It means we can provide children with a safe bed to sleep in, suitable clothes and shoes to wear, toys to learn and play as they explore the world, alongside many other essentials."

Steph added: "This support enables us to help give children the best possible start in life. We're incredibly grateful to players of People's Postcode Lottery for making this possible."

Other local charities who have benefitted from this week's Millionaire Street prize include:

• Grace House North East - £30,000 Helping to support local disabled children and young people, as well as their families. Services on offer include counselling, youth groups, therapeutic activities and work experience for young people.

• Pallion Action Group - £30,000 A charity offering help to local people with managing their finances in the most effective way. They provide volunteering opportunities and job seeking assistance, as well as welfare and money advice.

• Veterans in Crisis CIC - £30,000 Providing support and stability to veterans in Sunderland facing mental health issues. Their goal is to help veterans rebuild their lives through a variety of services including crisis support, mental health counselling and practical help.

• More than Grandparents - £30,000 Assisting kinship carers who are raising their grandchildren or a relative's child. Offering peer support groups and one-to-one advice, as well as social events and outings.

All funding was awarded by Postcode Community Trust.

Thousands Of Supported Projects

Today's prize is part of a draw promoted on behalf of Postcode International Trust. Supported by our players, this trust delivers grant funding to organisations that work to alleviate poverty, hunger and enable food security. Benefitting charities include Action Against Hunger, ActionAid and British Red Cross.

With a minimum of 30% of each ticket price going to Charities, our players have now raised more than £1.5 Billion for good causes across Great Britain and internationally. People's Postcode Lottery players have funded thousands of deserving projects protecting people and the planet.

Have you signed up to play yet? Take a look at all the amazing Prizes our players can win. If you aren't sure how to join the fun, find out How It Works. It's really easy to sign up and play. With your help, we can support Charities which make a difference in people's lives every day.