A Group of Neighbors Won a Collective $1.3 Million in the Lottery — Here’s How They Plan to Spend Their Prize Money

Residents of Brookmans Park, a village in Hertfordshire, are celebrating after their postal code, AL9 6PT, landed them the Millionaire Street prize in the People’s Postcode Lottery. The £1 million (about $1.3 million) jackpot was shared among seven ticket holders, each pocketing £83,333 ($109,000) per ticket.

Among the winners was Samesh Kumari, a retired fashion firm owner, who took home £249,999 ($328,000) thanks to holding three tickets — a subscription he began four months ago in honor of his late mother, Chanchal Kumari.

“I think mum would be really proud,” he told the lottery. “She certainly believed. I’m not sure I did, but she was right. I’ve only been playing for about four months. To have won so quickly is amazing. When I signed up, I was thinking about mum. This is extra special.”

Samesh dedicated his win to his mother, adding, “Mum always said that, within the family, I was the lucky one. The Postcode Lottery was always something she influenced me to do.”
He and his wife, Gosia, plan to use their winnings to support their children, renovate their home, and take a family holiday. “For me, it’s always been about family,” he said. “A lot of it will go toward my son’s football training and investment in him. I just want happiness for my kids.”

Just down the road, Khalid Mannan and his wife Nivedita Bajaj, both pediatricians, also won £83,333 with their single ticket. “I never thought that we could be the ones, so it is amazing,” said Mannan. The couple plans to take their two daughters on a trip to Canada and the United States — including a long-dreamed-of cruise to Alaska. “We’ll have to find a cruise and book it,” Bajaj said.

Another lucky neighbor, Daksha Maroo, collected £166,666 ($219,000) with her two tickets. The mother of two plans to celebrate her 40th wedding anniversary by taking her husband, Dilip, to India. “I’ve never won in my life, so this is something really special,” she said.

The Maroo family also plans to revive a long-postponed Alaska trip and take their children, daughters-in-law, and grandsons to Disney World in Florida. “Going to Disney in Orlando with the family would be nice,” Daksha shared. “We took our kids when they were little, and it’s one of my favorite places.”

Reflecting on the win’s impact on the community, she added, “It’s really good to win with neighbors. It feels really special, and I’m pleased for them as well.”

Andros Pantelli and his wife, Margarita, also received £83,333 and plan to fulfill their dream of taking a cruise to Iceland or Greenland to see the Northern Lights. They also intend to refresh their home of 27 years with new flooring, bathrooms, and a fresh coat of paint. “It’s worn a bit and showing its age,” they said. “It was built in 1959, and we’re only the second owners.”

In addition, one more neighbor, who chose to remain anonymous, won £249,999 with three tickets, while two others each received £83,333.

Together, these seven households have turned their quiet Hertfordshire street into a Millionaire’s Row — proving that sometimes, luck really does live next door.