How a doting dad left his widow a £166,000 surprise with postcode lottery ticket

The smile says it all: Lesley McNally, 54, won People’s Postcode Lottery’s new Millionaire Street

A woman who lost her husband five days after his 60th birthday has told how she won People’s Postcode Lottery – with a ticket he bought shortly before he died.

When Garry and Lesley McNally’s three children had finally flown the nest two years ago, the couple decided to downsize, and moved into a bungalow they’d fallen in love with.

They had so many plans for it, and as soon as they were in, builder Garry started carrying them out, ripping off the roof in a single day to replace it.

But just eight months later – and only five days after his 60th birthday – Garry suddenly died of a heart attack, leaving the entire family bereft.

And the building work stopped.

But now it can begin again thanks to a legacy the loving husband and father left behind.

Because Garry entered their postcode into People’s Postcode Lottery – something that Lesley, 54, continued to play after his death.

Happier times: Garry and Lesley McNally were married for 37 years before he died suddenly

And this month she won a whopping £166,666 in the first ever Millionaire Street prize draw.

‘It’s unbelievable and will change the family’s lives,’ says Lesley, who has three grown up sons. ‘It will all be shared. It’ll help me and the boys.

‘I’m happy that I’ve won but it is tinged with sadness, because we had played for a long time and Garry’s not here to see it.’

Millionaire Street, which launched this month, is a new weekly draw by People’s Postcode Lottery with winners sharing the £1m prize.

The first prize draw was won by Lesley’s street – Moss Bank Road (M27 9UY) in Swinton, Greater Manchester.

Twelve tickets had been bought by eight different households, making each ticket worth £83,333. Grandmother Lesley had two – doubling her jackpot.

Lesley and sons (L-R) Alan, Steven and Matthew, beside their father’s garden memorial plaque

The first she knew was when she set off for work and noticed People’s Postcode Lottery team in her road. She asked one what was happening, and was told she’d won!

‘I initially thought it was the Labour Party canvassing for votes because of the red clothing,’ she admits. ‘Then I phoned my boss to say that I was going to be late!

‘It’s just lovely that other people in the street won, too. I don’t want to be “I won” when other people are struggling.’

The car dealership administrator had been married to Garry for 37 years before he died.

They had three sons, roofing firm boss Alan, 35, fireman Matthew, 32, and TV sound technician Steven, 29.

Lesley said: ‘We played Postcode Lottery in the old house and continued to play when we moved here. 

‘Now I’ll just enjoy [the winnings] and do what we wanted to do.’

Prizes: (L-R) Lesley McNally, Dolores Santos, Chris Leonard and Angela Greenhalgh all won

It’s not the first time Garry and Lesley’s tickets have won – in July 2022, they landed a £2,000 cash prize.

Son Alan believes it’s proof Garry is looking down on them.

He said: ‘I’m not a spiritual person, but when we were paying for Dad’s headstone, Mum got the £2,000 win – and now this.’

Lesley’s neighbour Chris Leonard landed the street’s biggest prize of £249,999 as he was playing with three tickets.

Now the 64-year-old wants to splash out on a red Mercedes, as well as a holiday to a five-star hotel in Anglesey, Wales, with not just his wife Elisa, 59, but their two dogs, Rosie and Poppy, too.

Chris and Elisa Leonard are looking forward to a new car and a trip to Anglesey with their dogs

Next door to Chris is retired community nursery nurse Dolores Santos, who’s using her £83,333 to revamp her house with her partner, Jason Devlin.

‘I feel quite giddy!’ said the 66-year-old. ‘We’ll be able to renovate with a new kitchen, new roof, front garden – and get it rendered.

Neighbour Angela Greenhalgh now finally has a chance to use the personalised number plates she was bought for her 50th birthday last year.

‘I might treat myself to a new car,’ she said. ‘I got private plates for my 50th but I can’t put them on because my car is too old!’

‘Walking the breast cancer now catwalk felt like a way to keep my late mum’s energy alive’

When Carly Moosah stood on the stage at Breast Cancer Now’s The Show**, she felt a rush of bittersweet emotion.

The 41-year-old mother of two and breast cancer survivor was representing People’s Postcode Lottery at the inspirational fashion extravaganza where all the models are cancer survivors. 

And while she was thrilled and proud to walk the catwalk, it was also an overwhelmingly emotional experience as Carly’s mother, Sharron, had stood on the same stage in 2009 just two months before dying of breast cancer.

Emotional moment: Breast cancer survivor Carly Moosah on the catwalk at The Show (Picture: Breast Cancer Now)

‘To go through the same illness as mum, to have that connection with her, felt like a way to keep her energy alive,’ said Carly. 

‘I’d wanted to take part a celebratory way. For Mum it was celebratory, but it was also her swan song.

‘For me I’d come full circle, and it’s hopefully over.’

Carly, from London, is mother to Dylan, nine, and Sienna, seven.  She was diagnosed in November 2019 after feeling a swelling in her armpit – with her family history (she carries the so-called ‘breast cancer gene’ BRCA1), she immediately booked in to see her GP. 

Carly was there for People’s Postcode Lottery, which has given Breast Cancer Now more than £9m (Picture: Breast Cancer Now)

Her quick action,  along with six months of chemo, surgery and radiotherapy – saved her life.

During her treatment Carly got to know of Breast Cancer Now as it offered advice and help to those going through the same thing.

‘There were a lot of things I was too nervous to Google,’ says Carly, ‘but I knew I wouldn’t be scared if I clicked on a BCN link – I trusted them.’

Carly was chosen to represent People’s Postcode Lottery, as a thank you for their support, at BCN’s annual charity event.

But she will at some point have to tell daughter Sienna that she, too, might carry the breast cancer gene, which puts her at more risk of the disease. 

Family history: Carly’s mother, Sharron, and grandmother, Dorothy, both died of breast cancer (Picture: Breast Cancer Now)

Thankfully that day is still more than a decade away – by which time funds donated by organisations such as People’s Postcode Lottery may have changed the cancer landscape beyond recognition.

‘I think breast cancer has hung over my head since my grandmother, Dorothy, died of it,’ says Carly. ‘I didn’t know her.

‘It’s so sad she missed out on meeting my mum’s children, and my mum has missed out on meeting my children.

‘I’m really grateful mine has been dealt with – touch wood – and I hope I get to meet my grandchildren and change history repeating itself.’

*£12 to be entered into all draws, paid monthly in advance. The estimated max possible ticket prize from the June millions and Millionaire Street prize draws is £391,000. Winning postcodes for June’s draws announced daily from 10 June to 7 July. T&Cs apply. People’s Postcode Lottery manages lotteries for 20 charities, each has one draw a month and receives a minimum of 33% from ticket sales. To find out draw dates, which good cause promotes and benefits from each draw, and the relevant prizes, see Prize Draw Calendar at www.postcodelottery.co.uk/good-causes/draw-calendar. Not available in NI. Conditions apply. Postcode Lottery Limited is incorporated in England and Wales and is licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission under licence numbers 000-000829-R-102511 and 000-000829-R-102513. Registered office: Postcode Lottery Limited, 2nd Floor, 31 Chertsey Street, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 4HD. Company reg. no. 04862732. VAT reg. no848 3165 07. Trading address: 28 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, EH2 4ET. © 2023 Postcode Lottery Ltd.

**Breast Cancer Now is a charity registered in England and Wales (1160558), and Scotland (SC045584).  Funding awarded by Postcode Care Trust, a registered Scottish charity (SC042667).

A woman who lost her husband five days after his 60th birthday has told how she won Postcode Lottery – with a ticket he bought shortly before he died.