A family from North Wales took part in a 17 mile walk from Colwyn Bay to Prestatyn last month in memory of their grandad Griff Jones who sadly passed away due to Covid in September 2020.
Letitia Spencer from Prestatyn, took part in the walk alongside 8 family members. She says:
“Blind Veterans UK meant so much to our Grandad and they gave him so many opportunities, equipment and trips that he spoke about every day. He would often go to their training and rehabilitation centre in Llandudno on holiday. He was a well-loved member there. We loved hearing all about his adventures when he came home”.
Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the family were unable to visit Griff when he was admitted to hospital last year but were able to communicate with him through his Synapptic mobile phone which was provided by the charity. Letitia says:
“He was in hospital for two months and it was tough not being able to go and see him. Blind Veterans UK had given him a phone which they had trained him how to use so we contacted him through that. We couldn’t thank them enough for this!”
As well as raising money, the walk gave the family a chance to come together and talk about all the memories that they had of their grandad. Letitia says:
“We loved doing the walk and talking about happy memories of our Grandad. His great grandchildren also took part in the walk and completed the full 17 miles! We will continue to help raise money in the future for Blind Veterans UK. We hope that this will help support other people and their families who may need support from Blind Veterans UK in the Future”.
To support Letitia family, please follow the link to their JustGiving page here: https://bit.ly/3Fwubb4
To follow in Letitia’s family’s footsteps and raise funds for Blind Veterans UK, groups can plan their own walks here: https://bit.ly/3AxCEHj
Those who sign up will receive lots of hints, tips, and digital resources to help them make their walk a success. Those raising over £100 per person will also receive a ‘March for Veterans’ walking boot medal.
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic Blind Veterans UK has adapted its service to support its 5,000 beneficiaries, 90% of whom are over 70 and were advised by the Government to self-isolate. The National Support Service has helped blind veterans through this period of social isolation.
