News

Grandson of Nottingham RAF veteran urges others to refer their loved ones to charity’s support this Grandparent’s Day

This Grandparent’s Day (1 October) Adam Knight, the grandson of a Ruddington RAF veteran, is urging others with grandparents who served in the Armed Forces and who are now struggling with sight loss to get in touch with Blind Veterans UK.

Adam, 27, from the Hockley area of Nottingham, said: “We’re really close as a family and it was difficult seeing my grandad battle sight loss, particularly as he’s a man who values his independence. But since joining Blind Veterans UK, he’s learned new skills, made friends and received equipment and training to help him live life to the full. The support has been amazing.”

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Combat Stress announces new five-year strategy to improve veterans’ access to mental health treatment and support

Combat Stress has announced a new five-year strategic plan to improve veterans’ recovery experience and enable the charity to raise the money needed to fund its life-changing work.

The plans are in response to the continued growth in demand for the charity’s support, with a 143% increase in referrals over the last decade. In the last year alone Combat Stress received more than 10,000 calls to their Helpline, and more than 2,400 new veterans were referred for treatment.

Following an 18-month period of discussion with veterans, employees, military charities and healthcare professionals, the new strategy has been designed to offer greater flexibility and accessibility to treatment so veterans can be supported more quickly.

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Brief on the forthcoming NHS veterans’ mental health complex treatment service

NHS England is in the process of procuring a veterans’ mental health complex treatment service (VMH CTS) that will launch on 1 April 2018.

The purpose of the VMH CTS, which builds on the recent launch of the NHS veterans’ mental health transition, liaison and intervention service (VMH TIL service), is to provide an enhanced service for veterans who have military attributable complex mental health problems, many of whom will have experienced trauma, which have not been resolved earlier in the care/support pathway.

The service will focus on veterans who will benefit from the intensive provision of a range of mental health and social interventions. This may include (but is not limited to) substance misuse, occupational therapy, physical health, employment, accommodation, relationships, finances and trauma focused therapy.

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Armed Forces Para Snowsport Team (AFPST) Spirit of Challenge

This year, the AFPST is privileged to be supported by Leonardo in our fundraising efforts, a company which is amongst the top ten global players in Aerospace, Defence and Security and one of the biggest suppliers of Defence equipment to the UK MoD. Our inspirational athletes conducted a tour of UK Leonardo sites in April and May, which enthused and motivated employees to start planning and carrying out their own fundraising activities for the AFPST ‘Spirit of Challenge’ campaign.

Highlights from the Edinburgh team have included a team of 12 ‘Leonardo Fitbitters’ who collectively completed over 1.5 million steps in just 5 days, raising over £2,000 in the process. 24 Apprentices based at the Edinburgh site climbed 1,345 metres to reach the summit of Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis.

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Blind veteran from Conwy completes three-day Iceland trek

A blind veteran from Conwy has completed 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 was 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!

“Out of the blue, he told me that I’d been picked as one of the lucky few. I thought, ‘right then, time to get training!’”

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Blind veteran from East Sussex to complete three-day Iceland trek

A blind veteran from East Sussex is currently preparing to embark on a three-day Iceland trek with Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for blind and vision-impaired ex-Service men, and The Not Forgotten Association.

Mark Threadgold, 49 and from Saltdean, was in the gym in the charity’s training and rehabilitation centre in Brighton when he first came across the challenge, which will begin on 31 August and has been arranged by The Not Forgotten Association.

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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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Afghanistan support

In light of recent events in Afghanistan, please find information and support resources here