Good Causes

How a Welsh Guard was found a home

As a former member of the Welsh Guards who fought in the Falklands War, Martin knows more than most about the limits of human endurance. But when the 58-year-old found himself destitute and homeless at the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown, the proud Welshman admits he had some bleak thoughts.

Martin said, “It has been tough. There were times when I thought ‘wow, how did I get to this point?’ I’ve always been clean and sober and worked very hard. But that’s life isn’t it?”

This fit, active man’s life changed irrevocably on a cold February day about 6 years ago. He’d made a smooth transition from the military – moving to America to work in IT – then returning to the UK after several years to look after his ageing parents.

In London for a business meeting, he began sweating profusely and felt his heart begin to race. Suddenly drained of energy, he dragged himself to the A&E department of the nearest hospital where doctors found he had a serious heart arrhythmia – an irregular heartbeat – and a faulty heart valve.

He said, “My life changed in a nanosecond; [the arrhythmia] left me physically and mentally depleted. All of a sudden you have limitations on your life and I’ve been trying to adapt to it ever since.”

No longer able to cope with the stresses of full time work, Martin gradually depleted his savings. Eventually he had to move out of his rented flat and began sleeping on a friend’s sofa. By the time the coronavirus lockdown began he was becoming desperate.

Help arrived in the shape of a National Lottery-funded charity called Veterans Aid. They found him a room in a hotel, then, after liaising with a housing association, more permanent rental accommodation in west London.

Martin said, “[Veterans Aid] are the cornerstone of where I am today. Without them I really don’t know where I’d be. What they did has put me on the map again. It was all so fast I had to pinch myself that it was really happening.”

Supporting veterans is just one of the National Lottery funding areas highlighted by our new TV ad and none of it would be possible without you, the players. By playing The National Lottery you raise £30Million for good causes every week.

5th October 2020

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.

Discover more
Please wait