Yorkshire £1m Postcode Lottery win brings sunshine to pit ponies Eric and Ernie

The museum, the former Caphouse Colliery, is on the doorstep of the lotto winners in Overton, near Wakefield, so has also been awarded £75,000 in the form of a Postcode Neighbourhood Trust.

And it will help buy a horse box for the museum’s beloved ponies to travel to community events and schools.

The surprise windfall will also be used to expand the museum's outreach activities and deliver programmes on site to tackle social isolation and support people with dementia, says the museum's delighted CEO Lynn Dunning.

The NCMM, which has 88 staff and more than 60 volunteers, aims to keep the story of coal mining alive by collecting and preserving the industry’s heritage, while creating enjoyable and inspiring ways to learn, for people of all ages and backgrounds.

“We are thrilled to have received this funding thanks to players of People Postcode Lottery. Funding such as this is vital in our mission as a charity to share and preserve England’s coal mining heritage, she said.

Stunned neighbours in Overton are celebrating today's £1m jackpot win itself after WF4 4QZ landed Postcode Lottery’s weekly Millionaire Street prize.

Four OAP friends, who formed a syndicate five years ago, will share a third of the total prize with two other neighbours.

Karen Baylis, aged 76, her civil partner Julie Towse, 65, and neighbour pals Ann Swallow, 75, and Julie Boocock, 65, will get £83,333 each.

“We decided to have one ticket between us and see what we got. I never, ever imagined anything like this. It is just amazing," said Karen.

Postcode Lottery has raised more than £1.2 billion for thousands of local, national and international charities and good causes.

* People’s Postcode Lottery costs £12 a month to play and there are guaranteed winners every day. People play with their chosen postcode and are automatically entered into all draws.

A minimum of 33% from each ticket goes to charity. For more information visit www.postcodelottery.co.uk.