'I’m not on a budget now!' - Liverpool street wins £1m in People's Postcode Lottery

Players living on Thornton Street, Litherland, have scooped are share of a £1million jackpot as their postcode won Saturday’s People's Postcode Lottery’s weekly Millionaire Street prize. Three neighbours in the L21 8PG postcode shared the big cash prize. Every ticket was worth £250,000, but one lucky winner landed a cool £500,000 after she bought two.

Stunned Mandy Foulkes, 52, first announced: “I’ve just won a quarter of a million pounds on the Postcode Lottery”, before ambassador Judie McCourt corrected her and advised she’d actually won a half million as she had played two tickets.

Mandy, a centre technician, now plans to celebrate with her three children, aged between 16-24. She said: “We’ll definitely go out for a meal somewhere and it won’t be McDonald’s, which is their favourite.” She added that going on holiday with her children would be a top priority.

Mandy, who has been working in the education department at Southport Hospital for the past three years, also said a house move might be on the cards or home renovations as she likes living on her street.

She said: “It’s lovely. Everyone knows each other. We’re always out helping each other as needs be. We all get on well. It’s quite a quiet little road.” She added: “I’m sure we’ll all celebrate tonight with a drink.”

Across the road, Denise Walsh, 42, was left shocked when her whopping quarter of a million pound cheque was revealed. And partner Jo Spollin, 40, turned to her and said: “I had a dream you won three hundred grand, didn’t I?”

Support worker and mum Denise said: “I’m absolutely over the moon. I’m in shock. When the envelope was getting revealed, I thought, two thousand, three thousand maybe, which, you know, I was going to book a holiday for me and my daughter and my partner. When I saw that, it’s like, yeah, it’s life changing isn’t it?” 

Denise originally signed up to play thanks to her mum, who was on hand to lend her support with other members of the family. She said: “It was my mum actually who told me to sign up. She only lives round the corner and she’s been doing it for, I think, about five years now. We had a little conversation and she said, ‘you should do it’, and I said yeah and so I’ve just done it ever since.”

Kind-hearted Denise, who has been supporting adults with learning disabilities for the past 20 years, now plans to spoil her family on a special holiday. She said: “You know when you scroll through things and you look at these gorgeous villas and things like that. Everyone’s on a budget. Well, no, I’m not on a budget now. It’s all on me!”

Denise also wants to treat daughter Jessica, 11, who has just finished primary school, ahead of her school prom. She said: "We’ll have a shopping spree day.” The grateful mum, who is currently on a week’s annual leave, added: “I’ve got a lot of thinking and planning to do.”

Window cleaner Jo couldn’t believe her dream came true and was able to take the rest of the day off work. She said: “I’ve just rung him (my boss) and said I can’t go back, not today.” The couple have been together for six months, but have known each other for around a year. Jo said: “She’s my person,” then joked, “before the money!”

The win comes just two months after seven players in Liverpool won Postcode Lottery’s Street Prize. The neighbours in Garston bagged £30,000 each after L19 1RN was announced as the winner on Sunday, May 26. And one winner, Jo Taylor, 53, kept dreaming of the number three before winning her £30,000 prize.