Rebecca Andrews and David Docherty have won £333,333 in a couple postcode lottery win after both said they nearly died within months of each other. The pair were one of three ticket holders in Glentham, Lincolnshire, to share the £1m Postcode Lottery jackpot.
Andrews said she lost her job in the NHS in January, while Docherty spent weeks in intensive care after emergency surgery earlier this year. She said the moment they received the winnings was unbelievable, and both described the payout as feeling like a weird dream.
Glentham jackpot split
The £1m jackpot was divided between three households in Glentham, leaving Andrews and Docherty with £333,333. Four Lincolnshire-based charities also received a combined £200,000 from the Postcode Lottery, extending the impact of the draw beyond the winning couple.
The structure of the prize explains why the couple’s share was smaller than the headline jackpot. Each ticket holder in the winning postcode took a separate portion, while the charity funding was set aside separately for Lincolnshire groups.
Rebecca Andrews in January
After Docherty’s time in intensive care, Andrews was saved by paramedics at her home months later after suffering an allergic reaction to a hornet sting. She said: “I lost my job in the NHS in January. David nearly died. Then I nearly died.”
She added: “It's just been really, really stressful, one thing after another. It's been that kind of year you don't wish on anybody.” Docherty said: “You come through all the rubbish, and then sometimes something wonderful happens. This has given us hope again”
After the Postcode Lottery
The couple plan to buy another kitten with the winnings and share money with family and friends. Andrews said: “My nephew is getting married in December and couldn't afford a honeymoon, so we'll help him,” and added: “David's niece is getting married too, so we'll buy them a lovely wedding present.”
She also said: “I just want to look after friends and family and see them happy.” For the couple, the win turns a year marked by illness and job loss into immediate practical help for relatives, while the lottery draw also directs money to charities in Lincolnshire.
