Life Changing

The National Lottery is about more than just matching numbers this Valentine’s Day…

When you have a learning disability, it can be a little trickier to meet someone who makes your stomach do somersaults. That’s why Scotland’s national dating and friendship agency for adults with learning disabilities works to level the playing field. With the support of National Lottery funding, Dates-n-Mates acts as matchmaker to give those with learning difficulties the chance to find love – and challenges common misconceptions about their limitations in the process.

Introducing Craig, 35, and Kirsty, 28. Before Dates-n-Mates, both Craig and Kirsty could be very shy and generally spent a lot of time at home. Just like any of us, Kirsty was hoping to meet someone “funny, nice and kind”, while Craig was searching for a soulmate who was “caring, lovely and easy to talk to”. They were the perfect match – they just needed to find each other.

Now they spend more time out and about, laughing and enjoying each other’s company – and their families couldn’t be more pleased for them. As Kirsty’s mum put it so well: when it comes to love, “It’s just so nice; why shouldn’t they have the chance too?”

14th February 2019

The National Lottery has been changing the lives of winners and supporting good causes across the UK since 1994. In that time, there have been more than 7,000 new millionaires created and by playing The National Lottery you raise over £4 million for Good Causes every dayΔ.

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