A blind veteran from West Sussex is aiming to raise £2000 for charity by sky diving 10,00ft on Wednesday 9 October. Graham Forshaw, 81 and from Worthing, will be taking on the challenge for Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women.
Graham, who has Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), was in the Royal Artillery for National Service, serving in Cyprus and Germany. After leaving the Forces, Graham started a small retail business in Lancing. In 1977, he was elected to West Sussex County Council. He represented the people of Lancing, Shoreham Beach and Worthing for 24 years and retired as Leader in 2001.
He says:
“Following an operation, I was told I had lost all sight in my left eye and had macular degeneration in my right eye. It was a shattering experience. I walked out of the hospital wondering what would happen when I lost the small amount of vision I still retained – it was a black moment”.
Fortunately Graham found Blind Veterans UK and has been supported by the charity since 2017. He is taking on the sky diving challenge to show his appreciation for the charity and to give something back. He will be funding the sky dive himself to ensure all proceeds go to Blind Veterans UK. He says:
“They assist thousands of others to continue living useful lives. Of course training, accommodation and community assistance does not come cheap, so we are immensely grateful to the public for their generous support”.
To support Graham and to help him reach his fundraising target, please visit his fundraising page: https://www.facebook.com/donate/529846997770220/529847004436886/
To follow in Graham’s footsteps and take on your own challenge to raise funds for Blind Veterans UK please visit: https://www.blindveterans.org.uk/get-involved/events-calendar/
Blind Veterans UK helps vision-impaired ex-Service men and women of every generation rebuild their lives after sight loss. Since 1915 the charity has provided rehabilitation, training, practical advice and emotional support to tens of thousands of blind veterans.
Blind Veterans UK currently supports more blind veterans than ever before in the charity’s history, but it knows there are many more who still need its support to rebuild their lives following their sight loss.
Notes to Editor
Blind Veterans UK helps vision-impaired ex-Service men and women of every generation rebuild their lives after sight loss. Since 1915, we’ve provided rehabilitation, training, practical advice and emotional support to tens of thousands of blind veterans.
Find out more at: blindveterans.org.uk and follow us on Facebook at: facebook.com/blindveteransuk and on Twitter at: twitter.com/blindveterans.
For all media enquiries please contact:
Laura Weir – PR & Communications Executive 020 7616 7955 / laura.weir@blindveterans.org.uk / blindveterans.org.uk
