A British Army veteran who signed up to the Veterans' Lottery after watching one of the charity's powerful real-life stories about PTSD has won the £75,000 jackpot.
Former Women's Royal Army Corps Warrant Officer Wendy Hooton, from Bury St Edmunds, says she is still struggling to believe she has become one of the Veterans' Lottery's biggest ever winners.
"It still seems surreal," she said.
"I couldn't believe it…even when they told me I'd won first prize, I didn't really believe it as you get so many scam calls these days."
Wendy, who served almost 18 years in the Women's Royal Army Corps between 1972 and 1990, joined after watching a Veterans' Foundation film featuring British Army veteran Craig Harrison and his wife Tanya.
Craig's honest account of living with PTSD and the impact it has had on his family deeply resonated with her.
"It just touched me," Wendy explained.
"I'd watched lots of the Veterans' Foundation films, but that particular one made me decide to do something, so I signed up."
Winning the £75,000 jackpot may have come as a surprise, but Wendy says supporting veterans and not winning money was always her motivation.
"I won't stop playing because I wanted to give anyway," she said.
"The money wasn't my motivation as I joined because I wanted to support veterans."
After leaving the Army, Wendy and her late husband Colin, himself a Falklands and Northern Ireland veteran, ran a pub before she later spent 15 years working for Marks & Spencer.
Today, retirement is anything but quiet.
She dedicates much of her time to fundraising for the Women's Royal Army Corps Association, organising annual charity 10K runs, supporting fundraising events and helping preserve the stories of women who served.
"I had a good career and I was very fortunate,” Wendy continued.
"I learned to drive in the Army, I learned to ski andI travelled to Germany, Hong Kong, Cyprus and Australia.
"I just like to give something back and that’s why I play the Veterans’ lottery and I will always encourage other to do the same because it’s a great charity which does amazing things for veterans and their families.
The £75,000 prize will now help Wendy fulfil a long-held ambition of moving into a bungalow better suited to her future.
"It will help me tremendously," she said.
"It'll make a real difference to what I can buy.”
The Veterans’ Lottery is the UK’s largest single-cause lottery and is a key funding stream for the Foundation’s grant programme.
If you’d like to be in with a chance to win up to £75,000 you can sign up to play the Veterans’ Lottery today.
