Blind veteran's "Blindfolded Bimble"

Blind veteran Ian has organised a 6km ‘Blindfolded Bimble’ in response to our Armed Forces Month campaign, which calls on people to organise activities to celebrate and commemorate key dates in the month of June while raising vital funds to support our work.

Ian, 44, and from Shanklin on the Isle of Wight, is challenging walkers to pair up, taking it in turns to complete 3km under blindfold while guided by their partner for the outward or return leg of the walk between Shanklin and Sandown.

Among those joining him on 9 June will be his two daughters who are nine and 13.

Ian is hoping the challenge will give people a small insight into the impact of sight loss. He says:

“I think those taking part will be surprised how vulnerable they feel when they put on their blindfolds and start walking. They will have to really trust their partner to warn them of obstacles and changes in gradient and surface type."

Ian enlisted into the Army in 2002 when he was 22 years old. He served for four years with the 2nd Battalion Royal Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment and carried out tours in Iraq, Kuwait and Northern Ireland.

Ian's sight loss

In 2017, Ian lost his sight after he choked at home while eating dinner with his family. He says:

“My brain was starved of oxygen which has resulted in severe sight loss. A simple everyday activity changed my life overnight."

Ian's mobility and speech were severely affected, he had to learn to talk and walk again. Ian has now regained his speech and his mobility is still steadily improving but his sight will never return. He says:

“The occipital lobe is the part of the brain that processes visual information and translates what we see so that we’re able to judge distances and recognise colour, objects and faces but this no longer works."

Receiving our support

In 2018, Ian began to receive our support. He says:

“Discovering Blind Veterans UK turned my life around. They helped me learn to use a cane so that I could walk safely unaided, provided equipment like a talking microwave to help me prepare food and enabled me to meet and spend time with other blind veterans which helped me to imagine a life for myself beyond sight loss.

“Being able to meet others in the same boat as you means you are all on the same playing field and sight loss isn’t the first thing that we notice about each other."

Ian has also attended themed residential stays at our centres of wellbeing where he's taken part in a range of activities from footgolf to axe throwing. He says:

"My confidence has been boosted and I’ve been spurred on to spend time with family and friends.”

Join Ian for the "Blindfolded Bimble"

As the walk takes place just days after the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Ian is asking each pair to raise a minimum of £80 for our charity. He says:

“I want to ensure that other veterans like me can receive life changing support for years to come.”

For further details on how to join Ian on the "Blindfolded Bimble" you can email our Community Partnerships team, or to show your support for Ian and help him reach his fundraising target: