'This has put us back together': West Midlands sisters win combined £249k in lottery

A West Midlands woman laid on a celebration for her sister’s People’s Postcode Lottery win next door - before finding out she’d won too. 

Wendy O’Neill, 59, bought flowers, champagne and confetti canons to mark sibling Paula Beswick’s £166,666 prize. But she was left speechless after getting a knock at the door to say that husband Geoff, 64, had also bagged £83,333.

Later the sisters - who live in neighbouring houses with a drop-down bar in the fence between them - hugged as they took in their good fortune, just six months after losing mum Ariel, aged 86.  

Wendy, of Rubery, Worcestershire, said: “I went out and got champagne, flowers and confetti bombs for Paula. 

“I never knew anything about our win until this morning. I really did genuinely think that because Paula got the call, it was individual wins. I just got everything ready for her. Then I got the knock on the door this morning and it was complete and utter shock.

“This has brought us together. We lost mum in April, and we’ve hidden away with our own grief. But this has lifted us and put us back together.” 

Paula, 56, said: “It means everything that Wendy and Geoff have won, too. She was so excited for us because she didn’t know they’d won.

“We lost mum in April; she’s looking down on us.” 

The siblings shared £1m with nine other neighbours in Rubery after B45 9HA landed the Millionaire Street prize on Wednesday November 19. Every ticket was worth £83,333, but Paula doubled her prize with two.

Mum-of-one Wendy says the win will mean a huge boost for her and Geoff, who suffers from CADASIL, a hereditary stroke disorder which can lead to dementia.

The GP surgery nurse said: “We’ve been playing for a few years, but this is good timing…very good timing. It means an awful lot.

“Geoff had five strokes last year. The blood vessels in his brain break and bleed out.

“This, for us, is just amazing and is going to be life changing. We can have the downstairs toilet converted to a shower room. It’s huge…huge.” 

“Family live next door, but the street is amazing. It’s one big family.” 

When asked how he felt, grandad Geoff smiled and said: “Happy!” 

Little sister Paula pocketed £166,666 playing with two tickets after joining just six months ago. 

She signed up because she works for Cats Protection, a charity supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. 

The mum-of-two said: “I’ve only been playing for about five or six months. I work for Cats Protection and Postcode Lottery support us, so I thought we’d give a little back.”

Husband Andrew, known as Bez, saw both cheques and joked: “Can I have one?” 

The couple now have plans for the cash, including helping out family. 

Paula said: “We’ll renovate the house, definitely go on holiday and treat our lovely granddaughter and two daughters. That has changed our lives…amazing.”

Jaguar Land Rover maintenance engineer Bez said: “We’ll help our two girls out and put money in a trust fund for our granddaughter.” 

Paula said: “We like travelling. We want a camper van to do the North Coast 500 and go down through Spain into Portugal and spend a few weeks.” 

Bez said: “We meet friends from Dublin in the Algarve every year. If we can, we’d like to go before Christmas and surprise them.” 

Paula said: “Wendy and Geoff have had a rough time and both deserve every single penny. Wendy’s a nurse and so well loved in the community. She has a heart of gold.”