LUCKY lottery players from Eastbourne have shared a £230,000 windfall after their numbers came up in the People’s Postcode Lottery.
The locals, who all live in the BN23 8 area, discovered this week that their postcode had been drawn, scooping a bumper pay-out.
And it proved a particularly special day for 64-year-old Janice Vincent who was given the lion’s share of the prize pot because she had three tickets.
That left her with £115,473 and she was understandably over the moon.
She said, “I am in complete shock,” she said.
“It has come at such a good time, as my husband Mark has only just began a new job after being out of work, so things have been pretty tight recently.”
As well as paying off some of her debts, Janice has a large family that she intends to spoil.
She said, “I have four children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, so I think there may be some extra special Christmas presents this year.”
Janice and husband Mark’s 14-year-old granddaughter currently lives with them, and will accompany the couple on their forthcoming holiday to Norfolk. Janice added, “We are heading to a holiday park in the area, where everything is included in the price.
“Our win will allow us to leave the park, do a bit of exploring in the local area, and pick up a few souvenirs to give to the rest of the family.”
A further 14 players in the winning postcode scooped prizes, with 11 residents winning £6,792 and three lucky players scooping £13,584 for their two tickets.
One of those lucky ones to scoop the bigger jackpot was 52-year-old Ann Crabb, who has been working with children with special needs as a residential night care officer for more than 34 years.
“It’s like a dream, but it’s real, if you understand what I mean,” laughed Ann, who has only been playing the lottery for a month. “It has made my day, I have never won anything before.
“My Dad passed away eight weeks ago, so my sister and I have a holiday in Rhodes in a couple of weeks to have a break and just relax for a bit. The winnings can certainly pay for a couple of day trips.
“I would love to go back to the Dominican Republic – I’ve visited it four times already and have so many friends there. I will certainly be using the winnings to treat myself to a holiday in January next year, just after my birthday.”
The holiday vibe is certainly catching, as one of the other winners, Yvonne Isted, also has trips away on her mind.
“I can finally make my dream of visiting Canada a reality,” said 75-year-old Yvonne. “My friend has already visited and I would love to see how beautiful it must be with the autumn leaves and beautiful colours.
“I also absolutely love trains, so taking a train ride through the Rockies would be an unbelievable experience.”
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