I won £30,000 in the Postcode Lottery, but I almost missed out
A WOMAN who won £30,000 in the lottery says she only signed up out of jealousy.
Helen Bright, 49, was one of eight lucky neighbors to win their share of the £240,000 People's Postcode jackpot.
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And it was one of the local residents in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, who inspired her to start buying tickets – after she feared she would miss out on a win.
When Helen was told she had won the five-figure sum, she recalled how she once told the neighbor she would be 'gutted' if he had a lucky ticket and she didn't.
The 49-year-old says: “I was talking to my neighbor about it a few years ago, and he said: 'oh, we participate in the Postcode Lottery'.
“He said how good it is and I said, 'Okay, I'll start with that.'”
And the spell of jealousy paid off: the eight neighbors on St Nicholas Drive each received a check for £30,000.
When the prize was drawn last week, Helen had yet to tell her husband Rob and jokingly told him she had won a casserole.
But she has already made plans for the money.
The 49-year-old said she wanted to buy 'expensive hair straighteners' first – before planning a much-needed holiday.
Other winners on the street were also planning holidays, including Stephen Moody, Ian Clark, David Shepherd and Lisa Jones.
The lucky players were told the following days after a mother revealed how she took her neighbours' prize money.
Rachel Lee received the six-figure sum for her and husband John, 37, when their postcode in Dukinfield, Manchester was declared the winner on Saturday.
She also talked about how much the win meant – after she tragically lost her twin boys and had to fight for her life.
The news came six years after the deaths of Rachel's babies, and she revealed she wanted to give something back in their memory.
She says: “I worked in a daycare center as an assistant manager for thirteen years and I had had enough.
“I wanted to give something back and do something with my career after everything I've been through.
“When I got the job in the NHS, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I want to become a pediatric nurse and take care of poor children.
“Now I can do a master's degree in nursing and make that happen.”
Rachel also plans to buy a Life for a Life tree for her beloved twins.
She added: “We want to have a tree for life planted in the Dove Stone Reservoir (a memorial woodland near Oldham).
“We've always wanted to do it, but it's expensive.”
How does the People's Postcode Lottery work?
ACCORDING to the official website, players sign up with their postcode and pay £12 per month.
They are automatically entered into every draw and the prizes are announced every day of the month.
Tickets play for prizes every day of the week. From Monday to Sunday, a ticket can win £1,000 in the daily prize every day.
Tickets can also be used to win a £30,000 jackpot in Saturday and Sunday's street prize draws.
The People's Postcode Lottery also offers a £3 million Postcode Millions draw every month – and your ticket plays for a share of a £3 million cash prize fund.
Winners will be notified by email, text message, post or phone call depending on the prize they win.
Jackpot winners are personally visited by the lottery team.