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Veteran from the Isle of Man to compete in Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon for military charity

A veteran from the Isle of Man is training to compete in the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon for Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women.

John de Weert, 53 and originally from the Walthamstow, decided to sign up to the 13.1-mile challenge after reconnecting with old Army friends. He says: “It was largely down to Facebook really. Some friends I used to serve with got in touch and told me they’d be doing it. They wanted to know whether I’d be interested and so, after reading about the support the charity provides to veterans suffering vision-impairment, I got myself signed up.

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Army veteran from Conwy competes in Race the Train for local military charity

An army veteran from Conwy has competed in the Race the Train Quarry Challenge for Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for blind and vision-impaired ex-Service men and women.

Kevin Williams, 44 and from Glan Conwy, narrowly missed out on glory after finishing the 10 kilometre course in 56 minutes and 27 seconds, with the train coming in at 55 minutes. Kevin says: “It was a great day all round and it was fantastic to see so many people out in support.

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Military charity supports new government guidelines to reach veterans battling sight loss

Blind Veterans UK is welcoming a new Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI) form and accompanying Explanatory Notes for ophthalmologists which have been launched on the Department of Health website.

The military charity is part of a working group with other charities, led by the RNIB, which has supported the development of the new CVI form. This form is issued to patients assessed by a consultant ophthalmologist as being vision-impaired and often provides the first opportunity for patients to access information about support and services.

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Cyclist from Conwy to ride 525 miles for military charity

A cyclist from Conwy is preparing to cycle 325 miles for Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for blind and vision-impaired ex-Service men and women.

Goronwy ‘Gron’ Edwards, 67 and from Llandudno, will be cycling from the charity’s training and rehabilitation centre in Brighton to its Llandudno counterpart. The ride, which will begin on 29 August, will take six days.

The ride will be done on a recumbent bike, something Gron admits may not be winning him any fashion points in the near future. That being said, he remains bullish about its functional properties, something he maintains will be key over the course of the five days.

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Blind veteran from Conwy to complete three-day Iceland trek

A blind veteran from Conwy is currently training to complete a three day Iceland trek with Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for blind and vision-impaired ex-Service men and women, and The Not Forgotten Association.

Amazingly, Steve Thomas, 45 and from Llanrwst, was entered into the challenge, which has been arranged by The Not Forgotten Association, unknowingly. Steve explains “The Rehabilitation and Training Manager from the charity’s Llandudno centre put my name in the hat without me even knowing!

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Louise ready to take on Royal Parks Half Marathon after losing more than eight stone in 15 months

A woman from West London is preparing to run the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon for Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for blind and vision-impaired ex-Service men and women.

Louise Viisminas, 49 and from Hayes, is taking on the 13.1 mile challenge as part of a wider fitness regime that has seen her lose an astonishing 52 kilos, more than eight stone, since Febraury 2016. She explains: “I ended up having a few health issues and eventually came to the realisation that it had to stop. Something needed to change and that’s when I decided to start improving my fitness.

“I’m now in a place where I’ve constantly got to challenge myself. I do the park run every week, which is 5k, and also took part in a charity walk last september. I ended up covering 7k in 50 minutes, and then thought, why not starting running?”

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Family fun with Military charity at Llandudno Promenade

A local military charity is inviting guests to join them at the Llandudno Promenade Bandstand for an afternoon of fun and games.

Blind Veterans UK, the charity for blind and vision-impaired ex-Service men and women, will be hosting an event, with visitors to the Prom invited to take part in a range of fun activities. There will also be a special motorcycle display put on by The Whistle Stop Café and Widows Sons, two local groups who support the charity.

Victoria Beech, Regional Fundraiser for Blind Veterans UK, says: “Llandudno Promenade is visited by both locals and holidaymakers from across the whole country.

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Military charity on hunt for volunteers in Salisbury

A military charity that supports blind and vision-impaired ex-Service men and women is on the hunt for a team of volunteers in the Salisbury area to help generate local fundraising ideas and reach out to more veterans in the area.

Blind Veterans UK currently supports over 4,500 vision-impaired veterans, more than any time before in the charity’s history. It has set the ambitious target to double the number of veterans receiving its life changing support by 2022.

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Military charity on hunt for volunteers in Oxfordshire

A military charity that supports blind and vision-impaired ex-Service men and women is on the hunt for a team of volunteers in the Oxfordshire area to help generate local fundraising ideas and reach out to more veterans in the area.

Blind Veterans UK currently supports over 4,500 vision-impaired veterans, more than any time before in the charity’s history. It has set the ambitious target of doubling the number of veterans receiving its life changing support by 2022.

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Blind former RAF police corporal urges fellow veterans to access the “tremendous support” of Blind Veterans UK

A blind former RAF police corporal and ex-police inspector from Woodbridge is urging fellow veterans to access the “tremendous support” of a national sight loss charity.

Having worked in the police force for more than 30 years and served in the RAF Police during his National Service, Geoffrey Moss, 79, feared losing his independence along with his sight when he was diagnosed with glaucoma. Fortunately, thanks to support from Blind Veterans UK, Geoffrey has received the training and equipment he needs to continue living life to the full.

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