Nairn neighbours net £150k lottery win
Four neighbours from Nairn are in the money after their postcode, IV12 5AT, was announced as a winner with People’s Postcode Lottery yesterday.
Three of the Rait Gardens residents will see their bank account boosted by £30,000 each, while the fourth winner who plays with two tickets has landed themselves a £60,000 prize.
Retired Thomas Parish (73) was one of the lucky players picking up a cheque for £30,000. He said: “Goodness me, that’s a load of money. It’s life changing for me.
“My brother lives just a few doors down but isn’t playing so he’ll be a bit brassed off that he’s missed out. However, I’ll make sure I see him right.”
Mr Parish is a keen gardener and had a restless night waiting to find out how much he’d won.
He commented: “When I found out I was getting a visit from People’s Postcode Lottery I wasn’t able to sleep. I’ve been up since 5.30am watering my flowers and picking the strawberries I grow. I live a very quiet life so this has been marvelous and a real buzz for me.”
Having lived in New Zealand for a number of years, he is contemplating putting some of the windfall to visit friends he has there and said: “I spent a number of weeks in hospital last year having a pacemaker fitted so it’s nice this win has come now I’m back to full health and I can think about travelling over. I’ll also give each of my daughters a fair cut of the money and then just keep enough for myself so I can live comfortably.
“If you can buy all the things that you’ve been putting off and then give some of it away then that’s what it’s all about really, isn’t it?”
While the remaining winners weren’t available to collect their prize in person, the money will be paid directly into their bank accounts.
The Nairn residents won the prize as part of People’s Postcode Lottery’s special summer campaign, where a postcode is announced as a Street Prize winner every day of the July draws, landing all the players in that postcode a cheque worth £30,000 each.
People’s Postcode Lottery ambassador Judie McCourt presented Thomas with his cheque. She said: “I’ve had a glorious time in a very sunny Nairn meeting Thomas and making his day by handing him a lovely big prize. I’m overjoyed for him and our other lucky players and I’m sure Rait Gardens won’t be quite so quiet when they start celebrating!”
A minimum of 32 per cent of ticket sales goes directly to charities and good causes. Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have helped raise more than £450 million to date for good causes across Britain and internationally.
Local charities win too, and Abriachan Forest Trust is an example of a good cause that has received support. In 2017, it was awarded £20,000 to improve biodiversity in the area by creating an outdoor learning area and a tree nursery.
