Colchester blind veteran “honoured” to switch on Christmas Lights at Lion Walk

A blind veteran from Colchester is set to switch on the Christmas lights at Colchester’s Lion Walk Shopping Centre and says he is ‘honoured’ to have been given the privilege.

93-year-old Second World War veteran, Lionel Chivers, will be turning on the lights on Wednesday November 27 at Lion Walk Shopping Centre’s action-packed Christmas extravaganza.

The evening will see performances from a variety of acts including Soul’d Out, Olaf & Elsa from Frozen, as well as a special performance from Blind Veterans UK’s very own choir, Vision in Song.

Lionel says:

“Never in a million years did I imagine I would be turning on the Christmas lights but it’s a real honour and I’m looking forward to it greatly.”

Lionel was conscripted to the Army in April 1943 and served as a Radio Technician for the Royal Signals in Nigeria and Cameroon during the Second World War, where he was tasked with keeping radio equipment in good order.

It was later in life at the age of 87 that Macular Degeneration stole Lionel’s sight and he was registered blind. Luckily, Lionel found out about Blind Veterans UK, who have been supporting him since his diagnosis.

He says:

“Blind Veterans UK have enriched my life in an amazing way. On top of the adaptations which have meant I can live independently, I am a founding member of the choir, Vision in Song.

“Being part of the choir has given me something to live for and as a result I’m looking forward to many more years and even hopefully hitting my 100.”

The evening kicks off at 5pm and the Blind Veterans choir will be performing at 5:55pm. The lights switch on will take place at 7pm and be followed by fireworks.

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. The charity has a dedicated community team in Essex who provide support including training, equipment and social events for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women in the local area.

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

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