A blind veteran from Fareham, Hampshire, recently met photographer David Bailey at the Brighton rehabilitation and training centre of military charity Blind Veterans UK.
Will Phillips, 60, attended the event held last month as part of a photography-themed activity week run by the charity, which supports vision-impaired ex-Service men and women. Will was one of 14 blind veterans to attend the week.
Read moreA blind veteran from Guildford is currently training to take part in a 100km walk over 24 hours to raise money for Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for blind and vision-impaired ex-Service men and women.
Jeff Stockwell, 62 and from Broomfield, will take part in the walk from London to Brighton this July alongside his son Tony, 40, and grandson Aron, 21.
He says: “This is actually my third attempt at completing the 100K, so fingers crossed it’s third time lucky. I’ve been training hard but if worst comes to worst my grandson says he’ll push me to the finish line in a wheelbarrow.”
Read moreA Kent blind veteran who escaped a Prisoner of War camp has published a book about his wartime experiences.
Frank Unwin, 97 and from Orpington, authored the book ‘Escaping Has Ceased to be a Sport: A Soldier’s Memoir of Captivity and Escape in Italy and Germany’ which covers his several escapes from Italian forces and the bravery of the Italian peasants who sheltered him while he was on the run. The memoir also details his brutal experience of detention in a work camp in Germany and his participation in ‘The Long March’ in the spring of 1945.
Read moreA blind veteran from Crawley is currently training to take part in a 22-mile walk along on the Normandy coastline to commemorate the anniversary of D-Day.
Lloyd Hanslow, 41 and from Tilgate, will take part in the event alongside five other blind veterans supported by Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women. The challenge will take place this Wednesday, the anniversary of the 1944 Allied invasion of occupied France.
Read moreA blind veteran from Brighton has rekindled a lifelong passion for cycling as he prepares for a 24 hour cycle challenge around the iconic Brands Hatch racetrack in aid of military charity Blind Veterans UK.
Peter Burbery, 82 and from Brighton, will take part in the challenge on 16 September with three other blind veterans supported by Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for blind and vision-impaired ex-Service men and women. All four blind veterans will make up a relay team, each undertaking six-hour sections to complete the 24 hour challenge alongside their sighted tandem pilots.
Read moreA blind veteran from Liverpool is currently training to take part in a 22-mile walk along on the Normandy coastline to commemorate the anniversary of D-Day.
Mike Johnson, 55 and from Knotty Ash, will take part in the event alongside five other blind veterans supported by Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women. The challenge will take place on 6 June, the anniversary of the 1944 Allied invasion of occupied France.
Mike says: “I feel very honoured to be taking part because while it’s a physical challenge, the event is really about keeping alive the memory of those brave men who lost their lives on the beaches of France.”
Read moreSix blind veterans from East Anglia have been taking to the waves and learning a new skill during a sailing taster day, provided by Blind Veterans UK and The East Anglian Sailing Trust.
Through the use of audio navigation units, tactile charts and Discovery Pens, the vision-impaired ex-Service men were able to fully partake in the exciting day of sailing in Levington, near Ipswich.
The blind veterans, who hail from Ipswich, Colchester, Ely and Southwold, fulfilled a variety of roles on the yacht, including: navigator, helmsman, mainsheet trimmer and grinder.
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We asking you to pledge your support and to update you on some very positive developments on our quest to eliminate Veterans’ homelessness following our reception at the House of Lords in March.
The University of York research that we launched at the reception highlights how some ex-Service personnel slip through the net and end up homeless after leaving the Armed Forces. Evidence suggests that well over a thousand ex-service personnel each year require urgent support to find accommodation.
On the back of this research we developed a Call to Action to help tackle this important issue.
Read moreA blind veteran from Surrey is currently training to take part in a 22-mile walk along on the Normandy coastline to commemorate the anniversary of D-Day.
Chris Kennedy, 58 and from Guildford, will take part in the event alongside five other blind veterans supported by Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women. The challenge will take place on 6 June, the anniversary of the 1944 Allied invasion of occupied France.
Chris says: “As soon as I heard about the event I knew I wanted to take part. I think it’s going to be a unique experience, and I very much believe that sight loss shouldn’t stop me from taking on a challenge.”
Read moreMedia Invite – Photo and Interview opportunity
When: Wednesday 23 May – 12:30
Where: University of Manchester, Theatre A, University Place, M13 9PL
A research seminar bringing world-renowned experts together to discuss sight loss will be taking place in Manchester this week (23/05). The “Sight loss as a consequence of traumatic brain injury and mental health implications” seminar is the second in a series looking at various research and innovation ideas in relation to blind veterans.
The seminar is part of an exchange programme called Project Gemini where members of the US organisation the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) will be visiting Britain to join Blind Veterans UK this week.
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Afghanistan support
In light of recent events in Afghanistan, please find information and support resources here