Celebrations are taking place in one street in Sirhowy after five people scooped a cash prize of £30,000 each thanks to their lucky postcode.
The Hartford Street neighbours landed the lump sum when NP22 4QF was announced as a winner with People’s Postcode Lottery on Sunday 10th November 2019.
Among the winners was thirty-year-old teaching assistant Rhiannon Fryatt.
Rhiannon netted the cash after playing for just two months. She said: “This is surreal – I was not expecting that at all. My husband, Steven, doesn’t know I play so it will be an even bigger surprise for him!”
“I’d love to take my two kids, Ramsey who is four and Luna who is 15 months, to Disneyland in Paris next year. We just moved into this house in April, so this is going to give us the perfect first Christmas in our new home. It means the world to us.”
Recently retired Barbara Berry couldn’t believe it when she received a knock on her door from the People’s Postcode Lottery team. Barbara said: “This is something that I never thought would happen to me – it’s an amazing amount of money. What a wonderful retirement present for me.
“I’ve spent it already in my head. Christmas is just around the corner so the family will all benefit, there will be a nice present for them in their Christmas stockings this year, that’s for sure.
“I’ve got a few bits and bobs that I want to do in the house, so I’ve earmarked quite a few things already.”
Barbara, who is seventy-three-years-old, plans on having a stonker of a celebration with her friends this weekend. She said: “I’m going away with a crowd of 44 women from Tredegar, we go away every year around this time on a trip to raise money for Children in Need. This year we’re going to Newcastle and we do bingo, quizzes and raffles and usually raise around £500 over the course of the trip. The drinks will definitely be on me this weekend!”
It wasn’t just the cheque that Barbara was excited about – getting a visit from People’s Postcode Lottery ambassador and fellow Welshman Matt Johnson had her thrilled. She said: “I used to watch Matt when he presented The Hub, a Welsh language programme. I can’t believe he’s in my living room and we’re speaking Welsh together!”
The remaining winners weren’t there to collect their cheques but the prize will be paid into their bank account.
People’s Postcode Lottery ambassador Matt Johnson presented Rhiannon and Barbara with their prizes and said: “It’s always a joy to come back home to Wales and today has been no exception to that – llongyfarchiadau Sirhowy!”
A minimum of 32% of ticket sales goes directly to charities and players of People’s Postcode Lottery have helped raise more than £486 million to date for good causes across Great Britain and internationally.
This draw was promoted on behalf of PDSA, which has received over £8.5 million in funding raised by players to provide free treatments and services to the sick and injured pets of people in need.
There are lots of local charities close to the winners in Sirhowy that players have helped support too. Friends of Bedwellty Park Society was awarded £2,000 in 2018 to help make the garden a haven for wildlife and improve biodiversity in the area.
