Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women, celebrated Armed Forces Day at events across the country this weekend.
Armed Forces Day is an opportunity for everyone to come together and show their support for those who make up the Armed Forces community including serving members of the military, reservists, veterans, cadets and their families.
Staff, volunteers and veterans from Blind Veterans UK, as well as supporters of the charity, attended events in Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England.
Newport was the host of this year’s Armed Forces Day event in Wales which included a parade through the streets of the city centre and a military concert at the Welsh Rugby Union stadium in the city.
Blind Veterans UK Community Team Leader for the area Ffion Davies said:
“Our veterans had a fantastic time and loved being involved in the day, especially the military concert at the Rodney Parade Stadium which is home to the Dragon’s rugby team. A special thank you to the team who kindly gave our veterans their chairman’s box so they could shelter from the heat of the day.”
In Plymouth, Blind Veterans UK had an information stand within the veteran’s village area alongside other charities and organisations offering advice, information and support to veterans and their families.
Community Team Leader Aaron Garratt said:
“It was an extremely hot and busy day, but it was fantastic to be a part of the event.
The charity’s supporters also got involved in the action on Armed Forces Day. In North Wales, the West Conwy Volunteer Police Cadets set themselves a challenge to walk six miles from Colwyn Bay Pier to Llandudno Pier. The group aged between 13 and 18-years old raised £404 for Blind Veterans UK.
Participants from this year’s Veteran Banger Rally which is taking place in September were also out and about at events collecting money for Blind Veterans UK.
The Banger Rally challenges teams of two to four people, one of which must be a veteran, to buy a car for less than £1,000 and work together to jazz it up. They will then use their mechanical skills (and a bit of determination!) to hopefully travel 1,500-miles across Europe to Gibraltar.
If you were unable to take part in an Armed Forces Day event to show your support for our forces community this year, you may like the opportunity to get a head start on Remembrance. It’s a significant time for our blind veterans and we are inviting individuals and groups to start thinking about how they will mark this occasion.
Start planning an event today to take place between 20 October and 12 November to ensure the fallen and those left behind are not forgotten. Visit Blindveterans.org.uk/ptr
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
