A group of friends from Merthyr Tydfil won £1 million after creating their National Lottery syndicate at college. The Apprentices syndicate - which includes Alex Gwynne, 28, Dan Phillips, 25 and Kyle Bowen, 25 - started playing six years ago when a group in the year above them at Coleg y Cymoedd won £5,000.
At the time, a lecturer joked that the lads should start their own syndicate which they promptly did, and they have been playing ever since. The three friends are now celebrating a National Lottery windfall of £1 million from the special EuroMillions European Millionaire Maker draw on February 3.
Alex said: “We’ve all got good careers thanks to our apprenticeships through the college, but looking at my bank account now, it does feel that our lecturer’s advice to create a National Lottery syndicate might have been some of the soundest.”
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Thanks to some wins along the way The Apprentices already had a £550 National Lottery kitty, but they hadn't always played the EuroMillions. However, when Alex heard about the special EuroMillions European Millionaire Maker draw on February 3, when 100 millionaires were made in one night, he decided to buy a few lines.
He said: “Alongside my day job, I manage a band – Ratoon - so I was just about to head to Cardiff when my mate’s dad told me about the special EuroMillions draw. I thought it had to be worth a go so bought a few EuroMillions Lucky Dip tickets using the National Lottery app, some for me and some for the syndicate.
“I went off to Cardiff and thought nothing more until the following morning when I was watching TV in bed, waiting for our little one to get up, and idly scrolling on my phone. I saw a ‘news about your ticket’ email and logged in only to see a win of £2.40. Feeling a bit disappointed that was all I’d won, I scrolled down to our syndicate tickets where my disappointment immediately stopped because I saw £1,000, then looked again and saw it was actually £1,000,0000. I was stunned, to put it mildly.”
After sharing the news with his partner, who was just as shocked as Alex, the dad of one rang the The Apprentices Whatsapp group to share the news. Fellow syndicate member Dan was just jumping out of the shower when his phone went. Dan said: “Usually when he buys tickets, Alex puts it on our Whatsapp group so the boys know what draw we’re in, on this occasion he hadn’t so when the phone went I assumed he was just arranging a catch up. Not that I don’t like catching up with the boys, but discovering I’d won a share of £1,000,000 was even better news, and probably the best news I’ve had while stark naked.”
The Apprentices have since been able to catch up for a celebratory drink or two and can start to make plans for the future. Alex said: “The win really couldn’t have come at a better time for all of us as we move into grown-up life. We’re all starting to settle down and make long-term plans for the future, a bit different to how we were when we set up the syndicate that’s for sure."
While top of the list for the syndicate members is helping out family and wisely planning for the future with investment properties, there will be a few treats along the way. Alex has already splashed out on a new caravan for his young family so they can enjoy holidays in their favourite seaside destination, Llangrannog. Having taken all his holiday allowance for the year, Kyle has no plans to spend and has invested his winnings for the longer term, while Dan has bought a new car and plans to book a holiday before also putting the rest away for the future.
Alex bought the syndicate’s winning National Lottery EuroMillions ticket online, using the National Lottery app. The Apprentices winning EuroMillions European Millionaire Maker code was VGHX 98305. Through National Lottery players, more than £30 million is generated each week for National Lottery-funded projects.
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