A 96-year-old war veteran who paid respects to his fallen comrades in Normandy on a National Lottery funded trip was invited to celebrate the grant at Downing Street.
Walter Hart, who lives in Ruislip, met Prime Minister David Cameron, Sir John Major and celebrities, politicians and beneficiaries of National Lottery funding at a reception to celebrate 20 years of The National Lottery.
A grant enabled Mr Hart to return to Normandy to pay his respects to his lost comrades 70 years after fighting there in World War Two.
As a lance corporal in the medical corps, Walter described his experience of treating the wounded on the D-Day beaches as “horrific.”
“We often worked under gunfire in the field hospital we set up near the front line,” he said. “It was just a job we had to do.”
The Lottery created an image to mark the 20 years of funding projects across the UK, which offers a snapshot of the range and variety of projects that have been funded. Over 50 projects and more than 150 people feature in the picture - including Mr Hart.
He said: “National Lottery funding has helped so many veterans like me and so it is great to be part of such a momentous image and it was a real honour to be chosen to attend the special unveiling of the image at No 10 Downing Street.”
At the unveiling on Wednesday, December 3, David Cameron said: “The National Lottery has been helping projects across the country week in, week out for two decades – having raised over £32 billion for good causes.
“Whether they go to the local shop or play online, when they pick their numbers and buy their tickets, people all over the UK are not just in with a shot at scooping a big prize – they’re also making a massive difference to their local environment, helping arts bodies thrive, protecting the UK’s heritage sites, developing sporting talent and supporting the amazing work of countless charities.”
