An occupational therapy student from Abergele has reached the summit of Wales’ highest peak, Snowden, having completed the walk completely blindfolded. She has done so to raise awareness and money for Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women.
Izzy Jones, currently a student in York, embarked on the epic walk on Sunday 4 June. Despite the daunting task, Izzy maintains it was the support of her guide that helped her to the top of the mountain in one piece. She explains: “It actually went really well. The trust I needed and fortunately had in Suzanne, my sighted guide, was great.
“It was a smooth journey in all and such an enjoyable challenge, despite some rocky patches. I didn’t take the blindfold off once on the walk up Snowdon which shows it really is possible. Above all else, what it’s really made me appreciate is the other amazing activities Blind Veterans UK enables its beneficiaries to participate in. Some of which are a lot more strenuous than walking, such as white water rafting and skiing!”
She continues: “I’m over the moon that I’ve raised over £1,200 for the charity. This will help them continue the great work they do for the vision-impaired ex-Service men and women, and demonstrate to them that there really is life beyond sight loss.”
Having volunteered at the charity’s training and rehabilitation centre in Llandudno for the past three years, Izzy was keen to push herself physically to demonstrate her support for the veterans it supports. She says: “I’ve met unforgettable people that have impacted both me as a person and how I look at my own life. The rehabilitation and training they have available is brilliant and can make a big difference to their lives.”
Izzy maintains that, thanks to her studies in occupational therapy, she’s gained more confidence in terms of the support and service she’s been able to provide to the charity, which provides life-long support to its beneficiaries. She says: “A fundamental belief of the charity is that there is life beyond sight loss, which I couldn’t agree with more”.
You can still support Izzy for completing her Snowden blindfolded climb, by visiting: justgiving.com/IzzyJones1
Blind Veterans UK was founded in 1915 and the charity’s initial purpose was to help and support soldiers blinded in the First World War. But the organisation has gone on to support more than 35,000 blind veterans and their families, spanning WWII to recent conflicts including Iraq and Afghanistan.
Blind Veterans UK currently supports over 4,500 veterans, more than ever before in the charity’s history. The charity has set an ambitious target to double the number of veterans receiving its life changing support by 2022.
For more than a century, the charity has been providing vital free training, rehabilitation, equipment and emotional support to blind and vision-impaired veterans no matter when they served or how they lost their sight. Visit blindveterans.org.uk/support to learn more about the charity and how you can support its vital work today.
For all media enquiries please contact: Felix Arbenz-Caines, PR Assistant, Blind Veterans UK, 12 – 14 Harcourt Street, London, W1H 4HD, E: Felix.Arbenz-Caines@blindveterans.org.uk, T: 020 7616 7941
Notes to Editor
Blind Veterans UK
Blind Veterans UK is a national charity that believes that no-one who has served our country should have to battle blindness alone. Founded in 1915, the charity provides blind and vision impaired ex-Service men and women with lifelong support including welfare support, rehabilitation, training, residential and respite care.
Find out more at: blindveterans.org.uk, follow us on Facebook at: facebook.com/blindveteransuk and on Twitter at: twitter.com/blindveterans.
