LOTTERY winners from Bournemouth joined a host of other winners from across the South of England – who between them have won £148.9 million – to celebrate The National Lottery’s 25th Birthday on November 5.

Two of the previous winners included Jamie and Danielle Heavens, who won £1 million in September 2016.

Jamie described the day he found out they won: “My day wasn’t going well. Someone from work called in sick, our vehicle had no fuel, the petrol station wouldn’t accept fuel cards and I bought the wrong flavour Lucozade.

“But I bought a scratch card and found out there and then that I had won.

“My Uncle Marek couldn’t believe it, and neither could my mother-in-law who thought it was prank when I told her and Danielle over the phone.”

In total, 51 lottery millionaires have sported a BH postcode, making more than two new local millionaires every year.

In total 360 top tier prizes of at least £50,000 have been banked by players in the BH postcode, more than one a month.

National Lottery’s winners’ advisor Andy Carter said: “The BH postcode has proved very lucky when it comes to the big wins.

“Thanks to our National Lottery players, 565,000 Good Cause grants have been given out to projects big and small, that’s the equivalent of 200 life-changing projects in every UK postcode district, so here’s to another 25 years of making dreams come true.”

Jamie said: “We were able to buy two properties and a business, but I’m still very money conscious. I live a normal day to day life.”

He also had some advice for those who win: “Do what feels right to you. I was 22 at the time, and apart from the two properties and business, I saved the rest of the money for when I had more knowledge and experience on how to use it.”

Since the funding began in 1994, £40 billion has been raised for good causes and currently around £30m is raised every week.

There are thousands of grants – usually for £10,000 or less – which help small projects to make a difference in their communities.