Whoopee For Woodbridge

AN excited bride-to-be told how she'll get the wedding dress of her dreams after winning £320,000 in August's Postcode Millions.

Rachel said she'd splurge out on the 'budget free' frock before tying the knot next year with partner Callum, who also netted a £320,000 cheque.

The mum-of-one revealed the double win has capped an incredible August - after the proposal, her birthday and getting the wedding booked.

Rachel, of Woodbridge, Suffolk, said, "I got proposed to on the 3rd of August, had a birthday on the 23rd and booked our wedding as well for next June - and then winning this.

"They say good things come in threes, but that's four good things this month. This has been a cool August.

"What am I going to spend the money on? I'm not going to put a limit on my wedding dress. I was going to work to a budget, but it can be budget free and I'll have the dress of my dreams."

Rachel and Callum landed the windfall with three neighbours in the picturesque harbour town of Woodbridge, near Ipswich, Suffolk, after IP12 1JP was announced as the winner of our £3.2m Postcode Millions prize today. Every ticket was worth £320,000.

A further 358 people playing in the wider Woodbridge sector of IP12 1 received cheques ranging from £4,020 to £16,080, depending on how many tickets they played with.

Rachel said the couple, who have been together for eight years, have booked an intimate wedding in Paphos, Cyprus, after Callum got their four-year-old son Harvey to propose.

The estate agent said, "We had been at a family barbecue, and I walked mum home with the dog. When I came back, I was sitting in the back garden and Callum brought me a glass of wine.

"Then Harvey came out and said, 'Mummy, will you marry my daddy?' He got down on one knee and handed me a box with the ring."

Rachel added, "There will be 30 to 35 people at the wedding. We'll still be keeping it quite low-key. We'll maybe have a big party when we get home instead."

The couple told how they've been looking for a bigger house - and the win could accelerate their plans.

Rachel said, "We'd like to get a house with a bigger garden and an extra bedroom. We have a little boy, a dog and a cat. We love being in Woodbridge, we just need a bit more space."

But the size of their wins left the pair stunned.

Rachel said, "Everyone thought we'd win about £30,000. I didn't want to get too excited. It's incredible, isn't it? You don't ever think you'll win big. This is a life-changing amount of money. We've only ever won tenners.

"We've been playing for six or seven years. We wanted to do something for charity, so thought we would just try it."

Callum laughed, "You told me to do it, so I just did it. Well done for talking me into it. This is amazing. I was not expecting that. I've got to go back to work later, once I've picked myself up off the floor."

Rachel added, "Millions of pounds are spent on so many fantastic charities and for the people that play Postcode Lottery, that means a lot. It is not just putting on money and wasting it, it is helping people at the same time.

"I'm really happy for everyone that's won, especially sharing with so many lovely neighbours and so many local people as well."

Next-door neighbour Ann told how she won £320,000 just a year after her daughter Lisa persuaded her to sign up.

The mum-of-four and grandmother exclaimed, "Oh my God! Flipping heck! It is unbelievable. This sort of thing never happens to me. I've only been playing for a year.

"I thought it would be between £4,000 and £10,000, maybe even £30,000. This is beyond my expectations."

She added, "My daughter told me about the Postcode Lottery, and I thought that at least it was money going to charity, so I might as well."

Mum-of-one Lisa joked, "I've been playing for quite a few years and I'm thinking she's a bit jammy, I'm not going to lie!"

Ann is now planning on revamping the terraced home she's lived in for almost 30 years, as well as sorting out family - and maybe a holiday to a favourite destination.

The retired shorthand typist said, "I'll get the house done up and decorated. Get a couple of new sofas and carpets. Things that I thought would maybe just last me out."

She added, "I will definitely be helping the family out, too, and possibly a holiday. I like Greece, maybe somewhere like that. I haven't had time to think."

Postcode Lottery presenter Danyl Johnson said the wins made the sun shine a little brighter on Woodbridge.

He said, "It was a beautiful day when we turned up on the street in Woodbridge to present the bumper cheques to our lovely winners.

"The sky was a clear blue when we arrived, and I think the sun was shining even brighter by the time we left."

Local Charities Win Too

Local good causes close to the winners in Woodbridge have benefitted from money raised by Postcode Lottery players.

One organisation, ActivLives, received £24,995 in funding last year. The charity works across Ipswich and Suffolk helping to keep people active and engaged with their local community through accessible exercise, sports, volunteering opportunities and through learning new skills.!

Millions For Good Causes

Today's prize is part of a draw promoted on behalf of Postcode Earth Trust. Supported by our players, this trust provides regular grant funding to organisations that work to raise awareness and understanding of the natural, creative and built environment. Benefitting charities include National Trust, Friends of the Earth and Canal & River Trust.

With People's Postcode Lottery, 33% of the ticket price goes to charities and good causes. To date, players have raised more than £1.3 billion for thousands of deserving projects across Great Britain, as well as internationally.

What would you do with a big win? If you're not playing yet, learn more about how People's Postcode Lottery works and sign up to play today. There are Prizes announced every day and thousands of winners every week.