‘My friends lost their son when he was killed in service by an IED in Afghanistan and he’s my inspiration for playing the Veterans’ Lottery.’
These are the words of Sally Huggins, who’s hugely passionate about our armed forces and has just won £75,000 in the latest Veterans’ Lottery prize draw.
Sally’s Father served in the Grenadier Guards, her husband in the RAF and her niece is currently serving.
She has three sons and one of them is in the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) and she said she didn't start playing the Veterans’ Lottery to win money.
“My friends son was the only one killed in the IED blast in 2008 and many of the others involved suffered life-changing injuries,” said Sally.
“If he had survived I know that he and his family would have needed so much help and support when he came home, so that’s why I play because I know how much of a huge part the Veterans’ Foundation plays in providing financial support to amazing military charities that help so many.
“The military and supporting charity are two things that are strong passions in our family and we all feel it’s our duty to do our bit.”
Sally, lives in Swindon in Wiltshire, and due to a medical condition, is the recent owner of an eight-month-old support dog called Teddy, who is going through his training.
She says that ’totally unexpected’ win couldn’t have come at a better time as that it will help pay for her new companions training.
“Teddy is absolutely amazing and lights up my life every day, she continued.
“We’ve had to break down the payments for his training into monthly instalments as it’s expensive, but now it’s a financial outlay we don’t have to budget for.
“I’ve never won anything, so I was in utter shock when I got the phone call and didn’t really believe it was happening until the money landed in our bank account.
“My husband an I were out having a meal and we nearly choked on our food when we saw the bank balance and then it became very real and we’ve been able to start making plans on how to spend it."
Nicola Tait served In the RAF for 14 and-a-half years and we are delighted to announce that she won the second prize of £3,500 in the latest Veterans’ Lottery prize draw.
The 48-year old’s dedicated career saw her serve in the Falklands and she is now in the Full-Time Reserve Service (FTRS) and lives with her son.
She hasn’t been playing the Veterans’ Lottery very long and was inspired to play after watching a series of the real-life stories on social media.
“I didn’t know the Veterans’ Foundation existed until I watch one of the incredible videos on Instagram, which really struck a deep chord with me,” Nicola told us.
“Being military I just know how much the services that charities provide are needed within the armed forces community, so I feel it’s my duty to give something back.
“Unfortunately I know people who have served that have taken their own lives as a consequence of their service.
“By supporting charities like the Veterans’ Foundation we can help ensure that veterans and their families get the help they need before they find themselves in situations that are irreversible.”
Nicola has been wanting to make some improvements to her home for her and her son for many years now and she says that this work can now be carried out thanks to the £3,500 second prize.
"I’ve not been able to do anything on the house for about 10 years, so this win allows us to get started on a new bathroom.
“It will make a big difference to us."
Thanks to our loyal Veterans’ Lottery players as the funds raised have transformed lives and ensured that those who have served our country receive the help and support they deserve.
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.
