Cardiff woman grieving death of sister wins set-for-life lottery prize

Syndicate leader Amanda Hampton (l) won the prize along with her friend Louise (r) and her brother Gareth and ex-husband Matthew

A woman who was grieving the death of her sister said she asked her for "a sign" during a difficult night and woke up to find she had won a life-changing lottery prize.

The win for the syndicate, which also included Amanda's brother Gareth, her ex-husband, Matthew, and close family friend Louise, came on 3 February 2025, less than a year after Amanda and Gareth's sister Michelle died.

"I'd had a really bad day and was feeling incredibly sad about losing my sister."

When she received a National Lottery email the next morning, she did not initially give it much thought, suspecting she had perhaps won £5.

Gareth, Amanda, Louise and Matthew (left to right) say the win has changed their lives

But when she checked later that morning, she was astonished to find the £10K-a-month win.

"I immediately called Matthew at 6am. He wasn't very happy I'd woken him up until I sent him the screenshot. Then he couldn't believe it either."

"Everyone from work was in the car when I got the confirmation. When they told me it was real, we all just screamed," she said.

"I now feel completely secure and can look forward, instead of worrying all the time."

Before Michelle's death, Amanda, Michelle and Louise would celebrate birthdays and special occasions at Celtic Manor hotel in Newport.

"Michelle should have been here enjoying all of this with us," Amanda said.