Clubs and Societies

Acoustic rifle shooting club

Acoustic rifle shooting is becoming more and more popular, and our team plays in a postal league against other clubs.
The rifles use a light sensor to pick up different coloured rings on the target. The pitch changes as you get closer to the centre.

Amateur radio club

Members of our amateur radio club regularly get in touch over the airwaves, and often meet at Brighton where we run a well-furnished 'radio shack'. Our call sign - G3STD - is well known among radio amateurs.

Archery club

Our archery club competes all over the country, against both vision-impaired and sighted archers. Some archers use foot-locators and a tactile sight to aim at the target, with a sighted spotter telling them exactly where the arrow hits. Other archers have sufficient vision to use a bow-sight.

Visit the Archery website

Bowls club

Our hugely popular bowls club plays games all year round, both indoors and outdoors. Bowlers come from around the UK to meet for our twice-yearly bowling club fortnights near Brighton. During the games a sighted guide explains the position of the woods, and veterans use a length of string along the middle of the room to feel and judge the direction to aim in.

Computer club

Technology has opened up new worlds to visually-impaired people. By using screen magnification and speech programs, it is easier than ever before to use computers to research, communicate, relax and stay in touch with friends - wherever they are in the world. Whether they're learning to use computers or mastering programming, our computer club helps the veterans share ideas and experiences and learn new skills.

GOAL group

GOAL stands for Get Out and Live. It’s for active male and female beneficiaries aged 50 - 76 who despite their sight loss wish to participate in new challenges and enjoy the camaraderie of like-minded people. They hold regular events visiting places of interest and try all different kinds of activities. Their objective is to promote confidence and independence, and for that reason blind veterans aren’t accompanied by partners or carers. GOAL is designed and run by blind veterans. You can find out more information by emailing the group.

Golf club

Our golf club is popular with both recreational and competitive golfers, and some of the veterans have won blind golfing competitions. Veterans play at various locations around the UK with a sighted guide to take them around the course.

Radio Play Society

This society is a reprisal of the drama activities which kept our blind veterans in good spirits during World War Two, when the charity had temporarily moved from Brighton to Church Stretton for safety. Rather than performing onstage, in 2015 the society took advantage of new recording technology to produce radio plays. Learn more here. 

Skiing club

Every January we take a trip to the Italian Dolomites. Ski guides who are instructors from the Armed Forces stay with our veterans for the week, guiding them down the slopes individually. It's a popular, sociable week that gives veterans the chance to learn or get back into downhill skiing. Our skiing club has been running for over 35 years.

Writers' forum

Whether you've been writing for years or you've always wanted to give it a try, our writers' forum can give you plenty of support and encouragement. We hold a writers' weekend every year, where our veterans meet local authors, playwrights and poets.

Other activities

Activity and interest weeks held at our two centres include ballroom dancing, darts, history, music appreciation and gardening. Read through our news articles or visit our Facebook page to learn about what's been happening recently.

Cenotaph

The Cenotaph parade is organised by the Royal British Legion on Remembrance Sunday every November to honour those who lost their lives in war. Armistice Day marks the end of the First World War on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. A contingent from Blind Veterans UK, formerly St Dunstan's, has always joined the parade in Whitehall where we have one of the largest contingents.

Special occasions

To celebrate our successes and raise our brand profile in the hope of finding more veterans eligible for our support, the charity holds special events. Blind veterans regularly come together to help plan and volunteer at these.