By Isle of Wight Observer
A Cowes charity volunteer has won £333,332 on the Postcode Lottery, and says the life‑changing windfall will bring forward her long‑planned move to the Canadian Rockies.
Abbie West‑Long, 34, who volunteers with Barnardo’s, was the biggest winner in her postcode after PO31 7LR landed the Millionaire Street prize on Tuesday. Each ticket was worth £166,666, and Abbie was the only neighbour playing with two. Five residents shared the £1 million total.
Abbie, and her partner, Daryl Marlow, 39, fell in love with British Columbia during a tour of Canada, and had hoped to emigrate in 2028. The win means they can now make the move far sooner. “We’ve literally just had our dreams come true,” she said. “That’s a new life and a new start out in Canada.”
She admitted the news felt unreal. “I usually expect bad news. We’ve been sat going through every dream possible and then thinking, ‘I don’t deserve this; why would I get this?’”
Word of a Postcode Lottery camera crew on the ferry had already sparked rumours across the Island. Abbie said she knew they were coming after receiving a call the day before. “It was a mixture of excitement and panic.”
When the cheques were revealed, she struggled to take it in. “There isn’t a word for it. I just keep staring at the two cheques. That doesn’t feel real.”
The couple had originally planned to save £15,000 to £20,000 to fund their move.