Three ticket holders in Glentham, Lincolnshire, shared a £1 million Postcode Lottery jackpot on July 18, 2026. Each winning ticket yielded £333,333 under the LN8 2EX postcode.
Winners Overcome Health Crises
Among the winners were 46-year-old Rebecca Andrews and her 70-year-old husband, David Docherty.
The couple secured a third of the prize following a year marked by job loss and severe health emergencies.
Docherty, an ambulance service worker and former Kosovo humanitarian, spent five weeks in intensive care after emergency surgery for chronic diverticulitis and internal bleeding.
He lost over two stone during the ordeal.
Months later, Andrews suffered life-threatening anaphylactic shock from a hornet sting while home alone. She survived because paramedics accessed the house through an unlocked front door.
"It doesn't feel real at all. It was a complete shock.
It’s unbelievable. I feel like I'm in a weird dream," said Andrews.
"I lost my job in the NHS in January. David nearly died.
Then I nearly died," she added. "It's just been really, really stressful – one thing after another."
Docherty reflected on his recovery, noting that a conversation with a hospital domestic worker named Naomi helped restore his spirit.
"I got to the stage where I just thought, 'If I go, I go,'" he said. "You come through all the rubbish, and then sometimes something wonderful happens.
This has given us hope again."
The couple plans to use their payout to help fund family weddings, purchase a Ragdoll kitten, buy personal items, and care for their animals on their farmhouse property.
"My nephew is getting married in December and couldn't afford a honeymoon, so we'll help him," said Andrews.
"David's niece is getting married too, so we'll buy them a lovely wedding present."
She added, "The first thing I will buy is a Ragdoll kitten.
I'd normally rescue, but because we've got the cockatiels, we need a breed that's a bit calmer and easier to train."
Bus Drivers' Lucky Streak
National Express bus drivers Teresa Lay and Wayne Jackson, both 54, also claimed a £333,333 share.
They had moved into their Glentham bungalow after winning a smaller £180 pub game prize days prior.
"I'm still shaking… and I was shaking with excitement after I won money at the pub just a few days ago," said Lay.
"This kind of thing doesn't happen to people like us. This is absolutely amazing."
Jackson added, "You dream about things like this. But you never think it'll actually happen."
The couple plans to finish renovating their bungalow, improve their work-life balance, and spend more time with family.
"The biggest thing is having a better work-life balance," said Lay. "We've worked hard all our lives.
Now we'll be able to spend more time with family, enjoy ourselves and make memories."
"It's not about flashy things. It's about spending time together while we can.
We'll go back to Montenegro and get as many holidays as we can booked in," she said.
The couple also reflected on recent losses. "We've had so much sadness and I kept saying to Wayne, 'how much bad news can come?'"
said Lay. "This has given us something wonderful to smile about again."
Former Owner Wins After Moving
The third winning ticket belonged to 77-year-old June Kettlewell, the former owner of the bungalow.
She maintained her subscription under the former postcode after moving to Market Rasen.
"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," said Kettlewell.
"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," she added.
Charities Benefit
Alongside the individual winners, four Lincolnshire charities received a combined £200,000 in funding from the Postcode Lottery.
Lincolnshire Trust for Cats, Lincolnshire Rural Support Network, Rock Foundation, and Caistor Foodbank each benefited, with the cat trust awarded £50,000.
"That almost brings a tear to your eye more than us winning," said Docherty. "Knowing local charities, animals and people with learning disabilities will benefit too – that's wonderful."
