Group of apprentices from Merthyr Tydfil win EuroMillions after forming syndicate at college
A group of mates from Merthyr Tydfil, who created a syndicate for the National Lottery whist doing their apprenticeships at college, are celebrating after winning £1 million.
The group bagged the win from the special EuroMillions European Millionaire Maker on 3 February.
The 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 on The National Lottery.
Syndicate leader 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!”
The apprentices didn't always play EuroMillions but Alex to buy a few tickets for a draw which sees 100 millionaires made in one night.
“Alongside my day job, I manage a band, so I was just about to head to Cardiff when my mate’s dad told me about the special EuroMillions draw. So I bought a few tickets 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, the father-of-one then rang his WhatsApp group to share the news.
Fellow syndicate member Dan, who was just getting out of the shower when he heard the news, added: “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!”
Since their win, the apprentices say they have caught up for a celebratory drink or two and have started making plans for 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!"
Alex says he's 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 says he has no plans to spend and has invested his winnings for the longer term.
However Dan has bought a new car and plans to book a holiday before also putting the rest away for the future.
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