Chantelle Riley, a dedicated mum and school worker, has shared her plans for the windfall.
Chantelle won her third big Postcode Lottery prize and convinced her partner to play so they each won £50,000(Image: BL / Postcode Lottery / UGC )
A mum-of-four said she feels “numb and in disbelief” after winning the lottery for the third time. Chantelle Riley, 47, from Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands, is one of 18 neighbours to share £1million in the B36 area of Birmingham.
Each of the neighbours has won £50,000 – their share of the People’s Postcode Lottery. It is the teaching assistant’s third big win, having previously bagged £14,221 and £1,078, reports BirminghamLive.
Incredibly, Chantelle convinced her partner to sign up to the lottery, meaning he has won £50,000, too – along with 16 others in the area. Chantelle, who works at a special educational needs school, now plans to buy the rented home where she has lived for six years and spoil her first grandchild, who is due next month.
Chantelle said: “I can’t believe it. I’m feeling kind of numb. It’s unreal. I won £14,000 in the B36 9 postcode, which is literally across the road. And then two years ago I won again at that postcode. And now this my third win and my biggest. I feel very lucky.”
The 18 Auckland Drive residents won a share of the Millionaire Street prize when B36 0RX was announced as the winner on Saturday, November 22.
Each winning ticket was worth £50,000. One person trebled their prize to £150,000, thanks to playing with three tickets. It is the sixth postcode to win £1million in the last six days.
Chantelle has now banked a combined £65k in her three lottery wins(Image: BL / Postcode Lottery / UGC )
This week, the lottery announced a bumper week of prizes with seven postcodes landing a combined £7million. Tomorrow, another postcode will win £1m.
The neighbours’ win is the third massive jackpot to land in Castle Bromwich in the last 11 years.
And on both of the previous occasions, it was the adjacent postcode area, B36 9, that shared the prize money – landing £2million in February 2014, and many won again in July 2022 when £3.2 million was divvied out.
When Chantelle first won in 2014, landing a £14k cheque, she decided to keep playing with that postcode. That choice turned out to be the right one as she then netted a £1k win, eight years later.
Eighteen neighbours who live in Auckland Drive in Castle Bromwich are all set to share the £1 million Millionaire Street Postcode Lottery prize(Image: BL / Postcode Lottery / UGC )
Chantelle has moved house twice since her first win. But she has kept playing Postcode Lottery, buying tickets at her current postcode and her two previous addresses.
She said: “I’ve moved a few times, and I kept my tickets going at each address. I didn’t want to miss out if any of my postcodes came up. Last time I won, my sister said, ‘Well, I’m not going to sign up for Postcode Lottery because you won’t win again round here.’ Now I have… and she’s kicking herself.”
Speaking on her partner’s win, thanks to her encouragement, she explained: “A few months ago, I said to him, ‘You need to start playing because just in case we do win, we’ll both get it!”
On splashing the cash, she said: “This house might be getting bought now. The future is looking bright. I’ve got a granddaughter due on the 10th of December, so she’ll get some nice things for sure.
“I did spot a nice pair of Prada boots… maybe I’ll treat myself. It’s amazing to win with so many people on my street. I’m so happy for next door as they’ve won as well.”
Another £50,000 winner was Sandra Grimes, 59, a Farmfoods worker, who jumped with joy when her prize was revealed. The gran-of-five said it is “the dream of dreams,” adding: “This sort of thing happens to people like me.”
She continued: “I’m just glad other people get this opportunity. If just a few people could experience what I’m feeling right now… I’ll be really happy for them, it’s an amazing feeling.”
Laughing, Sandra added: “And my kids are liars because they said I’d get pennies. Look at me now. I would have been happy just to get a new carpet for my stairs and I can now.”
Farmfoods worker, Sandra Grimes, said she cried when she saw the cheque for £50,000(Image: BL / Postcode Lottery / UGC )
Sandra says she will toast her late husband, David Grimes, who passed away in December 2020, aged 52.
She said: “We always have an anniversary dinner on December 17 for him. We’ll be having drinks as well as dinner. And I’ll raise a glass to him because I believe he’s sent all of this.”
Sandra will celebrate her 60th next year but says her windfall won’t change her birthday plans. Sandra said: “Just to have my family there is the most important thing. I’d be happy with just a cake from Costco.”
People’s Postcode Lottery costs £12.25 a month to play and there are guaranteed winners every day.
People play with their chosen postcode and are automatically entered into all draws. The £38.2 million prize pot must be won in December’s draws and the deadline to sign up is at midnight on November 30.
