Veterans to Accept Lottery Cash
23/03/2009 13:14:30
It’s been a saga dominating the news all week after the National Lottery turned down a grant proposal for a group of veterans to travel to Normandy for the 65 anniversary of D-Day. The group have now raised £200,000 of their own accord and then a turnaround from the lottery meant they were offered the cash after all. Pride ensued and they turned down the offer but now it’s been decided that the veterans are to accept lottery cash.
Although the group of veterans are accepting the lottery cash they are still unhappy that their original request was turned down and say the National Lottery grant has come too late for many of the members to make the trip.
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UK National Lottery (UK) |
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UK National Lottery (Outside UK) |
They have accepted the cash after all but want it made clear that it was public donations that made the trip possible after what they called ‘Astounding generosity’ after a newspaper campaign got public donations rolling in.
Spokesman Peter Hodge said that had the National Lottery money come earlier it would have been a blessing but with just 10 weeks to go until the trip the whole thing is a logistical nightmare and many old soldiers that originally wanted to go on the trip will now have to miss the trip due to short notice.
Five years ago a National Lottery grant gave each soldier £330 from the lottery fund to pay for the trip on the 60th anniversary of D-Day but it looked like financial help would not be forthcoming this year.
Good on the National Lottery for coming forward in the end and well done to all the people of Britain who contributed to the fund and made this trip possible.
Page Last Updated: 22/06/2010 10:52:05
