A blind veteran from Swansea has completed a 563-mile journey around Wales using only public buses to raise money for Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision impaired ex-Service men and women.
In just three days, Tony Gale, 60, and fellow Army veteran and friend Dai, who is 74, used their bus passes to travel in a loop starting and finishing at the Swansea Veterans Hub which they were also raising money for with the challenge.
Tony and Dai caught their first bus at 8.05am on Wednesday 19 March and boarded their last bus back to Swansea at 7.46am on Saturday 22 March, arriving back in time for breakfast.
Tony says:
“We were blown away by our welcome, there was a fantastic turn out and Dai and I felt very emotional. The bus company made an announcement to welcome us back as we arrived in Swansea and the bus drivers all hooted their horns and other passengers clapped and cheered.
“The veterans who attend the hub formed a guard of honour and a piper started to play as we came around the corner towards the hub. The Mayor of Swansea and his wife were there along with three military captains and a whole group of Air, Army and Navy cadets.”
Tony and Dai set off with enough food and supplies including a tent and sleeping bag to last six days just in case they missed any buses.
He says:
“Every single bus ran to time, there was no standing in the rain waiting for late buses. I was amazed and it went far beyond my expectations.
“On the Tuesday night before we set off, I was panicking and worrying that I would fail and I’d let everyone down – Blind Veterans UK, Dai and the veteran community. I was fearing that other passengers and the bus drivers would get frustrated with me as I tried to board the buses or that I’d get in their way and face aggression but I had not needed to worry at all as this was the complete opposite of what I experienced.
“As we boarded the buses, Dai would let the drivers know that I was blind; every single driver offered their assistance to help me get on and off and they all let me know when we’d reached the stop I needed. It wasn’t only the bus company staff, the passengers we came across were amazing too, all moving seats to allow Dai and I to sit together at the front of the bus. My experience on the buses was fantastic.
“My confidence has grown so much as a result; so much so that this week I am going to catch the bus from my home to the Swansea Veterans Hub for the first time entirely on my own. I know now that I can do it and I know that the bus drivers and passengers will be there to help me. I am now so determined to give things a go and not have to fully rely on others.”
Before starting the challenge, Tony had said: “I want to show what a blind person can do and how, with rehabilitation from Blind Veterans UK, I’ve been able to get back my independence and navigate around.”
Tony had been concerned about the challenges posed by public transport for the blind and visually impaired and is looking forward to providing his feedback to the bus companies.
He says:
“I want the bus companies to know how fantastic their drivers were. It has been an amazing experience and because of this challenge I feel ready to go forwards now in my sight loss journey. I want others to know that sight loss isn’t a barrier to using the buses and with a bit of confidence, it can provide a new level of independence.
“My only feedback to the bus companies would be that I travelled on three buses that gave audio when arriving at stops which was really helpful as a way of tracking where I was and knowing when to get off. The technology is there so it would be fantastic if more buses could be equipped with it. There were also a couple of bus stops in larger towns that had screens you could press which told you when the next bus would be arriving and where it was going. Again fantastic technology which it would be amazing if it were rolled out wider. However, if I didn’t have Dai with me, I wouldn’t have known the screens were there.”
Dai and Tony served together in the Army. Tony joined the Parachute Regiment at 16 and underwent basic training in Aldershot but he suffered an injury to his ankle which meant he was unable to complete the jumps and therefore transferred to the Royal Regiment of Wales.
During his 15-year service, Tony undertook three tours in Northern Ireland, served in the Falklands for eight months and spent three years in Hong Kong.
Tony was diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy in both eyes. He now has no vision in his left eye and very little in his right.
He says:
“I was really deflated before I found Blind Veterans UK, I wasn’t sure what my life would look like. I hadn’t left the house for five months but with the support and rehabilitation of the charity, I’m now back in the right frame of mind and this has got me through.
“Last year I had my toes amputated and this put me off walking but I was again supported by the charity and now I have taken on this challenge to say thank you.
“I didn’t just want to raise money for the charity; I also wanted to raise awareness among the public and the veteran community. Along the route I spoke to many veterans either at veteran hubs or on the buses and I am proud to have spread the word.”
Tony and Dai have already raised £1,205 to be spilt between Blind Veterans UK and Swansea Veterans Hub. If you would like to help them reach their £5,000 target, please visit their fundraising page: gofundme.com/f/dai-tonys-fundraising-bus-journey-around-wales
If you or someone you know would like help and advice on using public transport visit blindveterans.org.uk/transport
If you would like to help Blind Veterans UK raise awareness of the support they offer and to help raise vital funds visit 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
