Former Royal Marine wins £7,000 first prize in the Veterans’ Lottery April draw.
Jake Stevenson served in the Royal Marines for 15 years and says he’s never played to win.
He supports the Veterans’ Foundation because he knows what a difference it is making to the lives of veterans and their families.
The 71-year-old’s service included tours of Northern Ireland and time during the Falklands Conflict, and he knows first-hand how important the role of military charities is when veterans make the transition to civilian life.
“I joined the Metropolitan Police when I came out of the military, so it was easier for me to make the transition into civilian life, although I’ve had my own struggles since leaving,” said Jake.
“I’ve been struck hard by some of the Veterans’ Foundation interviews on social media, which have covered stories of extreme physical injury and complex PTSD, and I consider myself very lucky as I have a good life now and don’t want for anything.
“It takes a lot to impress me, but I’m completely in awe when I watch these stories on Facebook.
“The way injured veterans like Mark Ormrod come back after surviving and adapting to such catastrophic injuries is totally inspiring, and their mental resilience is something we can all learn from.
“In my opinion, every government we’ve ever had has let down veterans, as it should be its responsibility to ensure they have the right support, but sadly this isn’t the case.
“This is why I play the Veterans’ Lottery, as it allows me to do my bit to help.”
Jake says he feels both lucky and thankful to have won £7,000 in the April prize draw and intends to spend his winnings on a special celebration with his wife.
“My 72nd birthday is coming up and my wife turns 60 in a couple of months, so we are going to treat ourselves to some kind of adventure holiday,” Jake continued.
“As everyone knows, day-to-day living is so very expensive these days, so we feel very blessed to have been lucky enough to win, as it will really help us.”
The Veterans’ Lottery is now 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.
Play the Veterans' Lottery
