On Sunday 27th of April 2025 I will be taking on the London Marathon to raise money and awareness for the ex-military service men and women that receive incredible support from Blind Veterans UK – an organisation that provides support, rehabilitation, training and equipment to blind veterans to ensure they are able to lead independent and fulfilling lives beyond sight loss.

Why I'm doing this:

As someone who has grown up in a military family – my mother is an ex Wren and my uncle is ex Royal Navy – I applied for a role in the customer care team at Blind Veterans UK after having been so touched by the stories I grew up hearing. I started my work with Blind Veterans UK in August 2023 and as someone whose job is to work alongside people who are applying to receive support from us, not a day has gone by where I have not directly spoken with at least one of the people that we support/would be looking for support from us. The amount of incredibly emotional anecdotes that have been shared with me by people who have fought on the front lines, including WW2 veterans, is nothing short of the ultimate inspiration.

Why I'm supporting Blind Veterans UK:

The more time I have spent at Blind Veterans UK, the more I have been touched by the level of bespoke care provided to all of the veterans we support. From simple devices such as liquid level indicators that enable them to make a cup of tea independently to screen readers and enlargers that enable them to read their own post, the newspaper and - for those with a little remaining vision – even see pictures of their grandchildren. I have also had the pleasure of working alongside many colleagues I would consider friends, people for whom no task is too large or difficult. I have experienced first hand the level of sacrifice and care that every team member of Blind Veterans UK has towards the veterans who depend on us to improve their quality of life. Everyone supported by Blind Veterans UK gets support for life, whether they are 30 years old or 100 (and yes, we do have some blind veterans that we support who are 100 years old +!!)

Personal Challenge:

On a personal note, in February 2024 I was diagnosed with a heart condition – atrial fibrillation – whereby the electrical impulses sent by the heart don’t quite send properly, causing irregular heartbeats. Then, after 2 severe flare ups in May and June 2024 rendering first the right, and then left side of my body extremely debilitated, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks parts of the brain, which will require ongoing, life long treatment.

In spite of this, I am even more determined to take on and complete this challenge to prove you can still live life as normal regardless of these conditions.

The difference your donation will make:

Any donations of any size would be greatly appreciated, but to have an understanding of cost, I have included the price of some of the pieces of equipment we tend to supply our Blind Veterans with:

£14 can go towards providing someone with a cane to keep them mobile.

£16.50 can go towards providing a liquid level indicator.

£25 can go towards providing items such as scanners.

£30 can go towards providing talking watches.

£40 can go towards providing a Dictaphone.

If you have made it this far, thank you for reading my story, and if you have donated, thank you x100!!’

If you could go one step further and support me by sharing my page and story on your own social media channels that would be fantastic!