WATCH: Lincolnshire neighbours scoop £1million Postcode Lottery win

It was a case of ‘waiting for one win, when two come along’ for ticketholder Teresa Lay and partner Wayne Jackson - from Glentham, Market Rasen.

Teresa, 54, had only just won £180 at a pub competition, when she learnt she had scooped £333,333 in the Postcode Lottery.

After a lifetime of barely winning a thing, Teresa first won the small cash prize during a game of ‘Higher or Lower’ at their local, The Crown Inn. Just days later, she and Wayne were left “gobsmacked” when a lottery camera crew revealed their six-figure prize.

“I’m still shaking,” Teresa said. "This kind of thing doesn't happen to people like us. This is absolutely amazing."

Wayne, 54, commented: "You dream about things like this. But you never think it'll actually happen."

Teresa was one of three winners sharing a £1 million prize when LN8 2EX in the village of Glentham landed Postcode Lottery's weekly Millionaire Street prize on Saturday 18 July. Each ticket was worth £333,333.

A spokesperson for the Postcode Lottery explained: “Teresa and Wayne moved into what she now calls ‘the luckiest bungalow ever’ after purchasing it from the previous owner, June Kettlewell, who also won £333k.

“Teresa only signed up to Postcode Lottery when she and Wayne were organising monthly payments for their new home.” She said: “When we moved in in February, we were setting up the direct debits for the bills when Wayne said, ‘What about the Postcode Lottery?’ I wasn’t sure at first but then said to him, ‘Well, it’s worth having a go.”

Earlier this year they moved from Birmingham to enjoy a slower lifestyle in the idyllic Lincolnshire countryside. Ironically, Teresa hadn't even wanted to view their current home, but Wayne persuaded her to give it one chance. "It's definitely the luckiest bungalow I've ever bought," she added.

The couple, who between them have five children and nine grandchildren, first met while driving the coaches for National Express and have now been together for almost 10 years.

The spokesperson continued: “The timing could hardly have been better for the couple as every spare penny had been disappearing into renovating their new bungalow.

Teresa said: "We've been doing one room at a time. Now we can finish it properly. We can do the garden and get everything the way we dreamed and finally enjoy it."

The couple had already spoken about cutting back their working hours and now that dream may become reality.

"The biggest thing is having a better work-life balance,” said Teresa. "We've worked hard all our lives. Now we'll be able to spend more time with family, enjoy ourselves and make memories."

Travelling together is high on the agenda and the couple are already planning holidays and perhaps even a cruise.

The last year has brought a series of heartbreaking family bereavements, making the couple's extraordinary windfall feel even more emotional.

Teresa said: "We've had so much sadness and I kept saying to Wayne, ‘how much bad news can come?’

Wayne added: "We lost my dad, my brother-in-law, and last Friday we lost a friend. It’s been really tough.”

Teresa replied: “This has given us something wonderful to smile about again. We're going to look after our family."

And one person especially close to Wayne’s heart is his mum, who is living with dementia.

He said: "This money means we can spend much more time with Mum. You can't put a price on that."

Former homeowner thanks Lottery staff for win

The previous bungalow owner, June Kettlewell, 77, also banked £333,333, despite now living eight miles away in Market Rasen.

She and husband Mike credit their win to a customer service agent at Postcode Lottery, who earlier this year informed them that they could keep playing with their old postcode.

Mike said: “We’ve been very fortunate because we kept the postcode of our old address. "We called up Postcode Lottery after we moved out and one of their team said we could keep playing with our old postcode, if we wanted, so we did just that. I can’t thank the young lady at the other end of the phone enough because we were not aware that you could keep using your postcode even if you move away.”

The retired abattoir worker also said they were delighted for new owners Teresa and Wayne. Mike said: “I’m really pleased for them. It’s obviously a very lucky house.”

Now June and Mike have some practical purchases in mind particularly for June whose heath has suffered in recent years.

Mike said: “I think we’ll buy June a new super-duper power chair. We could also buy a heating/cooling system that keeps the temperature inside each room exactly how you like it. I’d love to get that for June because she struggles a lot with the heat. Especially with how hot it’s been recently.”

Third winner – plus charities to benefit

The third £333k winner was Rebecca Andrews, 46, who celebrated alongside her husband David Docherty, 70.

All the winners spoke of their immense joy after learning that local charities are also benefitting from their Millionaire Street win – receiving £200,000 in funding.

One of the charities, Lincolnshire Trust for Cats, were surprised with £50,000 thanks to funds raised by Postcode Lottery players.

They run a seven-acre premises for rescue cats in the local area, providing care and a loving home for any feline that comes through their doors. This includes domestic cats, farm cats and elderly cats through their retirement scheme. The charity also supports vet practices and charities in Ukraine, donating animal food, blankets and medicines to both dogs and cats.

Jain Hills, the Trust’s founder and trustee, said: "We would like to thank Postcode Lottery players for their generous support at a time when charities like ours are overwhelmed with the sheer number of cats coming into their care. The Trust not only takes in stray cats but also runs a retirement scheme that gives peace of mind to owners - meaning that if their elderly cats outlive them, there is somewhere for them to stay.”

Jain added: “We hope to use this funding to help build an enclosed garden area for our retired cats as well as potentially expanding our recovery area for our cats who have had surgery."

Other charities receiving funding are:

• Rock Foundation UK - Caistor Site - £75,000 – a charity running workshops and supported work placements for young people and adults with learning disabilities.

• Lincolnshire Rural Support Network - £50,000 – which offers practical and emotional assistance to those facing hard times or crisis, particularly within agricultural communities.

Caistor Foodbank - £25,000.