Two next-door neighbours from Oldham, Greater Manchester, banked £333,333 each when their street won this week's Postcode Lottery Millionaire Street prize. Richard Sammons, 54, and Andy Swain, 41, split a life-changing £1M prize three ways with one other neighbour. The doting dads say they plan to spend the money on their children.
Dad-of-three Richard wants to get his twin daughters road-ready by paying for their driving tests and treating them to a car each. Richard, of Oldham, Greater Manchester, said: “This amount has blown me away! The money has come at the perfect time... I’m a single dad and this means I can help all my daughters, and it’s also turbocharged my retirement plans.”
Andy's plans: Safari, Rolex, and football treats
Just next door, Andy, a football coach, says his family’s lives have changed in an instant. He plans to splash out on an African safari, football treats, and a Rolex. Andy, a full-time office worker for Speedy Hire, admitted he would have been thrilled with just £10,000. He said: "It's just life-changing. Ten grand would have been good. I'd have been really happy with that. If it had been £1,000 we'd have gone out for a nice meal and treated the kids. But this is just crazy money."
Richard, Andy, and another neighbour shared £1M when Oldham postcode OL1 4BJ landed the lottery’s weekly Millionaire Street prize on Saturday, June 6. Each ticket was worth £333,333.
Richard's reaction: 'Blown away' by the win
Richard, a special needs school coordinator, was stunned when his six-figure cheque was handed over. He said: "I am lost for words. Truly lost for words. I can’t believe I’ve won this amount of money. I imagined it would be a couple of grand, and it’s just blown me away. I saw the first three on the cheque and thought maybe it was three thousand something…then it just kept going."
The incredible win comes at the perfect time for Richard's family, as his 19-year-old twin daughters are preparing to take their driving tests next month before heading off to university. One is planning to study in Manchester, while the other will attend University Academy 92 next to Old Trafford Cricket Ground. Now, their proud dad is ready to help them start the next chapter in style.
Richard said: "My twin daughters are about to go off to university. They're both taking their driving tests next month. So, if they pass, I can buy them each a car." He added: "My daughter was looking at the cheapest halls at Manchester University’s halls of residence… the ones with the shared bathroom and showers, but now she’ll be able to have her own en-suite."
Richard, who also has a 30-year-old daughter, a six-year-old granddaughter, and a stepdaughter, wants to help them too. He said: “My eldest daughter and my granddaughter moved back in with me four years ago, so the money will also help her get a foot on the ladder. Whether she wants to buy a house or rent a place, I’ll be able to support her.”
Retirement plans turbocharged
Richard’s spent years putting money aside for the future and he’s been weighing up retiring when he turns 55 in March next year. He said: “This will turbo charge my retirement plans. I’ve got some savings but this definitely takes me one step closer.”
Andy Swain, 41, also celebrating a £333,333 win, plans to purchase himself a luxury Rolex, a dream safari, and a VIP Day at Oldham Athletic. Andy’s wife Jo and their two children, Georga, 11, and Freddie, 6, watched on as he received his whopping cheque. Away from his day job, much of Andy’s spare time is devoted to coaching grassroots football. He manages both his daughter Georga's Under-11 girls' side and his son Freddie's Under-7 boys' team at Heyside FC. What started as helping out when another coach stepped away soon became a passion.
He said: "I just got the bug for it. It's been quite emotional watching the girls grow, not just on the pitch but off the pitch as well." Jo added: “The kids live, breathe, sleep football.” Andy wants to buy new turf for his back garden so his kids can play football all year round. He said: “We can finally get the garden done. It’s all about getting some new grass down for the kids because they are always out there playing football.”
