Blind veteran Tony's VE Day 80 candles

Blind veteran Tony has been making and selling candles for the past three years from a specially set up room in his home. Tony has now made a set of exclusive candles to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

To thank our charity for the support we’ve given him to rebuild his life after sight loss, Tony is donating 50% of the profits raised from his VE Day candles to us.

Candle making

Tony, 65, and from Poole in Dorset started making candles as a hobby after he retired from work. He says:

"I was feeling frustrated sat at home and wanted to do something that would allow me to give back to the charities that had supported me but also to have a reason to stay active and to get up each day.

“I have been selling the candles I make for the past year and for two years prior to that I was working to establish a method of candle making that would work for me with my sight loss. I did get to a point where I became so frustrated that I wanted to give up, but I persevered and have now perfected my candle making."

Tony has some tricks up his sleeve for making candles when you’re vision impaired. He says:

"I use talking scales to weigh up the fragrance I’m using. I purchase wax in blocks of certain weights so I can cut them to the right size consistently. I also have my magnifier which helps me read the labels on the fragrance bottles so I know what I’m making.”

VE Day

Tony hopes that people around the country will join together on 8 May to light a candle and remember the fallen. He says:

“VE Day means an enormous amount to me as a veteran myself. I joined up to the Royal Marines at 16 years old."

Tony's story: losing his sight

Tony was serving on an operation overseas when he first felt something was wrong with his vision; he saw a medic who advised that he had an incurable eye condition and Tony was told to return to the UK. He says:

“I was feeling low, I had to return to the UK alone and leave my unit and comrades behind.”

On his return to England, Tony was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa. This condition worsens over time and can affect vision in a number of ways such as night blindness, trouble adjusting to light changes, difficulty seeing colours, and narrowed peripheral vision.

Tony continued in a clerical role with the Royal Marines for two years before being medically discharged.

Rebuild his life after sight loss

In 1993, Tony discovered our charity and began receiving our support. He was sent to our rehabilitation centre, which at the time was in Brighton, to attend a six-week course which included basic housekeeping, cooking and computer literacy skills. He says:

“When I arrived at Brighton, I was in a deep void with no self-confidence, no self-worth and no self-belief. I had not imagined I would be made to feel so welcome and I learnt a lot more than I anticipated. Every day of the course was a new beginning. I was away from my family, but I knew that by spending the time on myself, I may be able to find a new career.”

Tony came away from the course and had the confidence to return to education, eventually completing an Information Technology degree at Bournemouth University. He says:

“Blind Veterans UK supported me while I was on the course; they were always interested in what I was achieving and how I was progressing. On completing my degree, I was employed by a company who knew about my sight problems and took a chance on me. Within five years, I had moved up to be a support manager. A career I could never have imagined would have happened without the support of Blind Veterans UK.

“The charity also installed special lighting in my home which means that I can make the most of the sight I have left. It’s helped no end with my candle making pursuits. I hope the sale of my candles will help the charity to support more blind veterans like myself.”