An RAF veteran from South Shields has completed his tenth Great North Run (GNR) in support of Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women, and has now raised over £5,000 in support of blind veterans.
50-year-old Kenny Nesworthy spent 22 years in the RAF, serving as a Chief Technician supporting operations across Europe and the Middle East. He now works as a Rail Fleet Manager for Stadler Rail Services UK, based in Liverpool.
Kenny says:
“I’ve completed 16 Great North Runs in total, and this was my tenth year in a row raising valuable funds for Blind Veterans UK.
“The day was a huge success once again and I thoroughly enjoyed wearing the Blind Veterans UK shirt with pride
“Losing one’s sight must be a horrific and challenging thing to encounter, but I’ve seen the amazing work that Blind Veterans UK does to turn lives around. The most incredible thing is the advancement of technology that can be made available to blind veterans. It means they can continue to be independent and pursue their life, love and passions after sight loss. Blind Veterans UK do a wonderful job facilitating this through its vital work”.
Kenny’s workplace, Stadler Rail Services have been by Kenny’s side, supporting him with his fundraising, over the years. They arrange sweepstakes on his running times and help him reach his fundraising targets.
Managing Director Paul Patrick says: “Stadler is proud to support Kenny and our other ex-armed forces colleagues in the work they do for their chosen charities. Kenny’s enduring commitment to Blind Veterans UK underpins the pledge we have made over the last five years to armed forces charities, most notably to Blind Veterans UK. We actively encourage our teams to support each other and give them time and space to train and organise fund-raising activities within the work environment. We embrace colleagues’ charitable work and as a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant, fully recognise the importance of ongoing armed forces charity work and are proud of our staff for their invaluable contributions.”
If you are inspired by Kenny and would like to find out more about taking on your own challenge for Blind Veterans UK, visit the charity’s website: blindveterans.org.uk/fundraise
Blind Veterans UK supports thousands of blind veterans across the country, but knows there are many thousands more who still need its support to rebuild their lives after sight loss.
If you, or someone you know, served in the Armed Forces, including National Service, and are now struggling with sight loss, then please get in touch. Call 0800 389 7979 or visit blindveterans.org.uk/gethelp
