A farmer’s daughter from Carmarthenshire is promising to build her dad a new bridge after scooping £250,000 in the People’s Postcode Lottery.
Isara Panicker, 38, from Cwrt Henri near Carmarthen, shared the £1 million Millionaire Street prize with three neighbours after their postcode, SA32 8SJ, was announced as the winner on Saturday 13 September. Each ticket was worth £250,000.
Isara, a mum-of-one, said: “We need to build a bridge at the farm. When the river rises, it’s not easy to cross. I promised dad we’d get it done one day – and now we finally can.
“It’s definitely better to drive over a bridge than through a river. At first, I thought maybe £1,000, which would have been amazing. But £250,000? I was just overwhelmed. Absolutely overwhelmed.”
When her cheque was revealed by Postcode Lottery’s Danyl Johnson, Isara laughed in disbelief. She explained that her mother Suzie, who worked for Radnorshire Wildlife Trust, had inspired her to play because of the funding given to local projects.
As well as helping her father Simon with the new farm crossing, Isara is planning to treat her six-year-old son Fraser to a 9,000-piece Lego Titanic set costing £589. She and her husband Anish, 49, will also travel to India later this year.
Neighbour Susan Childs, 56, also bagged £250,000 and described the win as “extra special” as she shared it with her mother-in-law Joyce, her tenant Julie Carter, and farming neighbour Isara. Susan said: “We’re supposed to be going to New Zealand next year, so I think some of the money will go towards that. The rest, I have no idea at the moment – it’s a bit of a shock.”
Retired nurse Julie Carter, 66, who spent over 42 years in nursing, also landed £250,000. She said: “We never thought we would ever win big on Postcode Lottery. But now, this is the retirement we dreamt of.” Julie and husband Steve plan to celebrate with holidays including the Maldives, New York and Lake Garda.
The lottery windfall has also supported good causes. The National Botanic Garden of Wales received £80,000, funding its Every Child in Wales initiative, which helps connect children with plants and nature. Director Dr Lucy A. Sutherland said: “We are deeply grateful. Thank you to all the players of People’s Postcode Lottery for this wonderful support.”
Other charities to benefit include Carmarthen Youth Project (£50,000) and Plant Dewi, run by St Davids Diocesan Council for Social Responsibility (£50,000).
