I recently met a group of ex servicemen and women who receive the support of Blind Veterans UK.  They spoke passionately about the changes loosing their sight had made on their daily lives, challenges that I had never really thought about before.  Almost every one of them spoke of the loneliness they suffered following the loss of their sight.  No matter their age, from the young soldiers who had served recently to a D-Day veteran, every one of them spoke about how they were suddenly plunged into a world where they were no longer able to socialise.  The simple trip to the Gym or the bowls club was taken away with the driving licence.  And just leaving the house now brought a whole new type of fear, not something commonly associated with our brave service people. 

Naively, I was unaware that Blind Veterans UK will support a person following the loss of their sight no matter how long their service, nor how their vision was damaged.  Not only fighting persons injured in battle but those former tradesmen and women and officers of all three services wounded in accidents, either during or post service, or those left with reduced vision by illness or even just by the effects of ageing.  People I know, people I call colleagues and friends could very likely one day require the help of this great charity. 

It was because of this encounter with a group of blind veterans that I contacted the charity to see how I can help.  From that initial enquiry I now find myself facing the challenge of the 2020 London Marathon to do my bit for them. 

I'm relatively fit but by no means a Marathon Runner. Well not yet anyway! I have a long road of training before I even get close to that start line.

Please donate whatever you are able to to help me reach my fundraising goal and help Blind Veterans UK support visually impaired service people live the lives they choose without loneliness. 

Thank you.

Flinty 

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