A WOMAN who scooped a tidy £55,000 in the Postcode Lottery has revealed exactly what she is going to do with the prize money.
Leanne Hanley, 53, originally hails from Edinburgh but moved to Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, with her husband and baby son more than two decades ago.
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Leanne, now a mum-of-two, has always wanted to move back to the Scottish capital and she could now realise her dream having won £55,555 with the People’s Postcode Lottery.
The mum, who works behind the perfume counter at a branch of Boots, wants to go back to Edinburgh to spend more time with her 74-year-old mum, Valerie Millar, who still lives in the city.
Leanne, formerly of Dumbiedykes, Edinburgh, told Edinburgh Live: “I’m speechless, and anyone will tell you that is not like me. This is more money than I’ve ever held in my life.
“I didn’t want to think what I would do with any money until I knew it was real. But this is life-changing.
“I’d love to move closer to Edinburgh again. I’ve still got family there, so it would be nice to even go back up the road a wee bit. I mean, why would you not want to go back to Scotland.
“My husband is from down here, but he would 100 per cent love to move.”
In all, there were 17 winners, including Leanne, who shared the Millionaire Street’s £1million jackpot, thanks to their DN16 2LQ postcode.
Each ticket was worth £55,555, with one winner doubling their cash prize thanks to playing with two.
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After realising she’d won, she broke the news to her road traffic management expert husband Mike, 52, during a Facetime call while he was working in India.
The couple are also hoping to treat their son Kyle, 23, who works for the homeware store Dunelm, and their daughter Niamh, 20, who is at Falmouth University studying interior design.
Leanne added she would also like to go on a family holiday.
While she said San Francisco would be a dream holiday she also said she loved the sunshine.
She said: “When you can win as well as the charities benefitting, that’s a win-win.
“It’s great for everyone to have a little bit of something, rather than one big win and no one else benefitting from it.”
Postcode Lottery ambassador Danyl Johnson presenter Leanne with her golden envelope.
He said: “It’s wonderful to hear how wins like this can change lives for people like Leanne.
“It’s incredibly special to see neighbours winning together.
“But local charities in Scunthorpe also have something to celebrate, thanks to our players.
“People’s Postcode Lottery players have raised more than £1.1billion for charities and thousands of local good causes.
“Neighbours win and charities win. That’s what we’re all about.”
Earlier this month, it was revealed where UK’s “luckiest” place was to win the Postcode Lottery.
Also in June, a former Royal Marine revealed he’d won the entire £400,000 People’s Postcode Lottery prize for his area thanks to his late wife.
In May, a former nurse bagged £400,000 with a Postcode Lottery win but her sister who lives downstairs got nothing.
HOW TO GET HELP
Gambling addiction can be extremely serious.
If you or someone close to you is affected by gambling addiction, there are a number of places you can seek help:
- National Problem Gambling Clinic: NHS specialist clinic for problem gamblers (in England & Wales only, for those aged 16+).
- GamCare: The UK’s main support and counselling organisation, who also run the National Gambling Helpline (0808 8020 133).
- Gamblers Anonymous: A charity which uses the same 12-step approach as Alcoholics Anonymous.
- GamAnon: A support group for family and friends, run by the people behind Gamblers Anonymous.
- Samaritans: A 24-hour service for those feeling suicidal (116 123).
- Childline: A free helpline for those up to the age of 18 (0800 1111).
There are several different treatments available for gambling:
- Inpatient programmes: Round-the-clock for those with a particularly serious gambling addiction.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: A type of talking therapy, with between six and 15 sessions, which can be prescribed on the NHS.
- Hypnotherapy: Through the power of suggestion, therapists hope to change problematic patterns in their client’s mind.
There are also a number of ways you can treat gambling at home:
- Block your access to gambling: Block gambling websites and stay away from casinos, betting shops and even pubs with slot machines.
- Give someone else control of your money: This removes the temptation to loss chase, or try to gamble your way out of debt.
- Stay busy: As with any addiction, you will experience a withdrawal period. Keep yourself busier than usual for the first week or so.
- Talk: Speak to a therapist/medical professional, and open up to at least one trusted friend/family member.
