A LUCKY mum has revealed how her savvy decision landed her a huge £250,000 Postcode Lottery win.
Diane Daughtrey from Barnham, West Sussex, was in disbelief when someone knocked on her door and handed her a cheque worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The mum-of-two found out she had scooped nearly a quarter of a million pounds thanks to her clever decision.
She was one of nine neighbours with the same postcode to win a tidy sum this week.
The £1m Millionaire Street prize was gifted to players with the postcode PO22 0DQ.
The 43-year-old Network Rail worker, who spends her nights at Barnham station, couldn’t believe her luck when the £249,999 cheque arrived on her doorstep.
But this wasn’t her first taste of success – and it’s all thanks to her decision to double down on her winnings after a smaller prize five years ago.
Diane said: “I’m gobsmacked and a little overwhelmed. It’s really caught me by surprise.
“I didn’t expect to win this amount of money – I was quite happy winning £1,000 like I did five years ago.”
Five years ago, Diane was over the moon with her £1,000 win.
She even shared some of it with her children, but her luck didn’t end there. In a decision that’s now paying off big time, she chose to invest in two more tickets.
Diane added: “I was so pleased when I won £1,000, I gave some of it to my children.
“And after that, I decided to get two more tickets. I guess it’s paid off in spades!”
Her clever move to increase her chances has landed her a life-changing £250,000 – three times the amount her neighbours won.
The excitement wasn’t just about the money, though.
The win meant she could finally think about her future, fix up her home, and indulge her family.
She said: “The big thing is that I can take care of the house, and I can give a bit to my children.
“I’ve also been wanting to treat myself for a change. I’m going to Singapore in March, so some of it will go towards spending money for that.”
Just hours after receiving her cheque, she was back on shift at the train station.
The mum-of-two, who also juggles looking after her kids, said: “I’ll be thinking about this all night long, that’s for sure.”
As for the rest of the Barnham street, they’re still celebrating too, as it’s been a big win for the postcode in general.
But for Diane, it’s a moment she’ll never forget.
And as she heads to Singapore, the memory of that life-changing cheque will no doubt stay with her for a long time.
Diane’s not the only lucky neighbour on Barnham Street.
Just days before Christmas, Julie won £166,666 with the People’s Postcode Lottery.
But, thanks to a key decision by Julie she was able to double her winnings while her neighbours received £83,333 – the price of each winning ticket.
She must have been feeling extra lucky as Julie decided to buy two tickets for the lottery and so she won twice.
Julie told the People’s Postcode Lottery officials: “It’s incredible, I still can’t quite believe it.”
The mum explained how the windfall has opened up doors for their family, most notably her daughter Torie who runs a wool-based clothing business called Feral Fibres.
“I’m just so happy because I know that things are also going to change for Torie now,” she said.
For just £12 a month, players can sign up through the official website to have a chance of winning millions of pounds.
Once signed up, players are automatically entered into every draw and prizes are announced every day of each month.
Tickets play for the Daily Prize, worth £1000 and revealed every single day.
Tickets could also win a jackpot of £30,000 for Saturday and Sunday’s Street Prize draws.
People’s Postcode Lottery also offers a £3million Postcode Millions draw each month – where your ticket plays for a share of the cash prize fund.
Winners are notified by email, text, post, or phone call, depending on the prize they win.
Jackpot winners are visited by the lottery team in person.
