“This amazing win couldn’t have come at a better time for us, but it’s not really about the winning as it’s knowing that you're doing your bit to help veterans in need."
These are the words of Martin Chapman, who won the £7,000 first prize in the August Veterans’ Lottery draw.
He’s a self-employed builder from Norwich and only started playing the Veteran’s Lottery in the Spring of this year after signing up at Shuttleworth Airshow in Bedfordshire.
“I visited the Veterans’ Foundation stand while I was at the show and it was inspiring to hear about the stories of not only the veterans but also about the support it gives to so many other military charities,” said Martin.
“It’s an honour to be able to do my bit to help."
Martin has family links to the military as his Dad was served in the British Army as part of Royal Norfolk Regiment and served in Korea.
His great uncles also served in WW2.
“I’m very proud of my family's service and very aware of the sacrifice they all gave during their time in the military,” Martin continued.
“One of my Great Uncles was a Prisoner of War in WW2 and was on the Burma Railway and he was so ill during his time he became blind because of severe vitamin deficiency.
“They all served in a time where there was virtually no support or understanding around the issues many face when they come out of the military.
“This is one of the reasons why I signed up to the Veterans' Lottery because now there are so many charities that help with the issues that my family members faced along with thousands and thousands more.
Martin is on the verge of retirement and says that his winning will allow him to treat his family.
“I’m not going to stop work completely, but I’m going to really slow down as I don’t take much time off as I’m self-employed,” said Martin.
“This money couldn’t have come at a better time as it gives us a nice buffer and we could also do with a nice little holiday maybe.
*The Veterans' Foundation Lottery is now the UK's largest single-charity lottery and is a key funding stream for the Veterans' Foundation 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.
You’ll be joining a family and a movement that has helped raise more than £30 million for over 500 charities to deliver vital services addressing key challenges such as mental health, homelessness and unemployment.
