Waltham Cross Millionaire Street

Colin Homer and his wife Janet put their Hertfordshire home on the market two weeks ago - and now their postcode has landed a share of a £1 Million prize.

If they’d had a quick sale, the couple's pledge to cancel their ticket means they’d have missed out on the fortune completely.

Colin, of Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, said: "We'd only put the house on the market two weeks ago.

"If it had sold quickly, we could’ve easily stopped the ticket - but fate had other ideas."

Colin was among seven neighbours in Waltham Cross sharing our weekly Millionaire Street prize when EN8 7QY was announced as today's winner. Each winning ticket was worth £142,857.

For Janet, the win carries an emotional significance. Her late dad, Don Cole, who passed away in 2021, had once convinced Colin to sign up for the lottery after scooping £1,000 himself.

Janet said: "It was my dad who got Colin into it. About five years ago, my dad got a golden envelope through the door with a £1,000 cheque inside. He was so excited. He then persuaded Colin to play.

"He's looking down on us now. I'm sure he is."

Janet, a retired admin worker, said: "It takes a while to sink in, doesn’t it? We just stood there in shock."

The parents-of-two now plan to use the winnings to help fund their upcoming move and finally relax after a tough few years.

Janet said: "We’ve had some rough times.

"My dad was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in November 2021. And then the following year our son was also diagnosed with multiple myeloma - a rare blood cancer - and he went through two years of chemo. Thankfully, he’s in remission now."

Colin added: "Then Janet's mum had to go into hospital for two emergency operations, and then she came out and broke her hip. And my brother is having kidney dialysis."

Janet added: "But just in last few months, my mum is now more settled in a care home, our son is in remission. So, now is this time we thought about moving and putting her house on the market and now this!"

The Homers live across the road from fellow winner Bev Gorrie and husband Martin, who also pocketed £142,857 - and the emotional moment brought the neighbours racing across the street to embrace each other

Bev, who congratulated her neighbours, also exclaimed: "Please don’t move now!"

Bev said she too felt her late father's presence when she found a white feather on her windscreen the day before the call.

She said: "That was my dad. I just thought, he's looking down on us.

Martin smiled, still shaking his head. He said: "You see it on TV. But when it’s your turn, you just can’t believe it’s real."

The pair, who have two daughters and a son all in their twenties, admit they rarely take time for themselves.

Martin added: "We keep saying about going on date nights and things like that, but it never materialises. I live in my work clothes - this is probably the smartest I've been in two or three months!"

As their £142,857 total appeared before them, Bev and Martin were left speechless.

Martin said: "When people say life-changing, it is life-changing. It’s a huge amount of money that will change our lives completely."

For the couple, the win means breathing space - and perhaps, finally, a bit of fun.

Martin said: "We can just sort ourselves out and start living a bit."

Bev added: "We can live a little, live a lot!"

Kathy Leclercq also scooped £142,857 - and was joined by her partner Savva Antoniou.

Kathy, who runs her own cleaning business, broke down in tears before her cheque was even revealed.

She said: "I feel like I’m dreaming. It feels too good to be true.

"My first thought was to help my mum - that’s my priority. I just can’t believe it’s real."

As they processed the news, their thoughts quickly turned to celebrating. Kathy said: "It’s his birthday next week. So, it’s come at the perfect time. We’re going away to Bucharest. We haven’t really had a break this year."

Kathy doesn’t plan on splashing the cash straight away, and is already planning for the future. She said: "I know I want to buy property. I’ve always wanted to - to have something that appreciates and grows."

Savva added: "When she got the call, I said it couldn’t have happened to a better person. She deserved some luck this year."

The pair also plan to upgrade their upcoming trip.

Kathy said: "We want to go to Mauritius next year - that's where my mum is from - so now we can."

The neighbours’ win also means local charities have benefitted from thousands of pounds of support thanks to Postcode Lottery players.

Five charities near Waltham Cross, have received a combined £200,000 in funding. The Nightingale Cancer Support Centre is one of the local organisations receiving £40,000.

The charity’s mission is to improve the lives of people with cancer by helping them cope with, come to terms with their diagnosis, and all the life changes that come with it.

Nick Jacobs, CEO of The Nightingale Cancer Support Centre, said: "With the staggering statistic that 1 in 2 of us will face cancer at some point in our lifetime, cancer support services have never been so vital.

"Thanks to players of People's Postcode Lottery, we will be able to continue providing our services free of charge to the thousands of people in our community diagnosed with cancer every year."

The charity provides a range of emotional and physical services completely free of charge, so that people in the community receive the personalised help they need during one of the most difficult times of their lives.

The other four charities benefitting from this week’s Millionaire Street prize are:

• 3Food4U - £40,000 An organisation providing free food and essential items to people in need, as well as a variety of services including well-being and employment support.

• Success Club CIO - £40,000 Supporting children and young people who might be at risk of underachieving academically and/or socially by providing learning opportunities with mindfulness as a focus.

• CHEXS - £40,000 Working with young people and their families, providing a range of activities to help support with building self-esteem and teamwork, including their flagship youth support CHEXS GROWTH programme.

• Broxbourne Citizens Advice Bureau - £40,000 Providing impartial, confidential and free advice on a variety of issues including debt, housing and employment.

Deserving Projects

Today's prize is part of a draw promoted on behalf of Postcode Planet Trust. Supported by our players, this trust has a mission to support the environment and the enjoyment of nature. The Trust has a particular focus on wildlife and supports charities and good causes with those purposes through grant funding.

Players aren't the only ones who benefit from People's Postcode Lottery. A minimum of 30% of each ticket price goes to charities and good causes. Thanks to our fantastic players, more than £1.5 Billion has been raised for thousands of deserving projects.

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