Congratulations Holmes Chapel

This month we have had not one but two Postcode Millions prizes being won. On the 9th January everyone playing with the Hull HU7 4 postcode sector scooped a share of a £3 Million prize. 

Today it's Holmes Chapel's turn to celebrate. The amazing news comes after their postcode sector, CW4 7, was announced as the winner of our second Postcode Millions prize during a special Facebook Live video.

Four neighbours play with the full winning postcode, CW4 7QD, meaning they each pocketed £369,346.

Shell Shocked

IT worker Ethan thought it was a joke when he was presented with a cheque for £369,346 over video call. He was joined by his wife of 17 years, Claire, when he found out how much he'd won during a video call with People's Postcode Lottery Presenter Danyl Johnson.

Ethan and Claire both clapped their hands to their faces in shock when they saw the six-figure sum. Ethan exclaimed, "You're joking? You are kidding me. I'm shell shocked. I knew it would be a surprise but bloomin' heck!"

Ethan joked, "We thought we might be able to get the guttering done and get the dog some new toys. This is beyond my wildest dreams." Claire, an HR administrator, was teary-eyed and added, "I'm really emotional. It will make a huge difference to our lives. I can't really put it into words."

With a 15-year-old son, Ethan said the money would help secure his future, "We'll be able to support Logan now in terms of studying and helping him through university and in pursuing his ambitions."

A romantic treat is also on the cards for Claire, with Ethan commenting, "Claire lost her engagement ring, the diamond fell out and it was pretty small to start with. I've been trying to save up to get a replacement for God knows how long."

Ethan says he'd love to use the win to give something back to the local Scout club, too. He said, "Our son has spent a lot of time with the Scouts over the last few years and the Scout movement has done a lot for him. It would be nice to support them with a little bit more than the £30 membership."

Virtual Party

Another resident winning the top prize was Dawn, who fell back into her sofa when her cheque was revealed. She said, "Oh my God, I can't even speak. Please tell me this is a wind up?! This is not happening. Someone is going to pinch me in a minute and wake me up. 

"I can't even tell you how I'm feeling. I've just looked at my heart rate and it's going quicker than when I go for a jog!"

With two daughters and a 23-month-old grandson, Dawn already has some ideas on how she'll spend her windfall. She said, "One of my daughters is in Sydney, Australia, so I think when we can go a first-class flight might be in order this time. I'll help the kids out and our little grandson too.

"We're going to have a virtual party with the family tonight on Zoom. It's been so long since we've all been together so when we can we'll have a great big celebration!"

Best January Ever

Judi, who works in a local florists, was joined by her husband Simon when she received the good news. She pressed her face to the screen to take in the numbers on the cheque before exclaiming, "Oh my God. No way. That is life changing. This is the best day in January I've ever had!"

The pair, who have been married 17 years, plan to help their two children get on the property ladder with the cash. Simon said, "It's been a dream of ours to help the children because it's so difficult. We'll certainly give them a hand-up, without any shadow of a doubt. We've got a three-year-old grandson too, so we'll put a bit away for his future. And we can sit down and plan our retirement now."

Judi added, "Simon turned 60 last year and we've got a bottle of champagne tucked away from his birthday - I think we'll be opening that tonight!"

Living in Holmes Chapel for 17 years, they were thrilled to have won alongside so many of their neighbours. Simon said, "We love Holmes Chapel and we love to see the village prosper, so this makes us really happy."

384 winners in the sector received different cheque amounts depending on the number of tickets they played with. 357 players with a single ticket won £3,685 each, and 25 players with two tickets won £7,370 each. There were two players with three tickets who won a lovely £11,055!

People's Postcode Lottery Presenter Danyl Johnson said, "I love delivering good news so it was incredible to give Ethan, Dawn and Judi and their partners such a fantastic surprise - I don't think any of them were expecting that amount of money! It was lovely to hear how they all plan to share their good fortune with their families.

"It sounds like there's a real community spirit in Holmes Chapel so I'm delighted so many others will benefit from the £3 Million win - congratulations to all our lucky winners!"

Supporting Good Causes

Today's prize is part of a draw promoted by Postcode Children Trust. Whizz-Kidz and Magic Breakfast are just a few of the charities supported through the trust that are inspiring and supporting children and young people.

Local charities also benefit. In 2019 Love Music Trust received £20,000 to deliver creative workshops improving the confidence and resilience of young people in challenging circumstances.

Our amazing players have raised more than £600 Million for over 8,500 good causes across Britain and around the world. 32% of the ticket price funds life-changing projects which make a difference to people and the planet. Find out more about the range of charities and good causes our players support.

Want to know more about People's Postcode Lottery? Take a look at our How It Works page and check out all the fabulous Prizes our players can win every single month. Why not sign up to play today?