Piece by piece: a blind veteran's journey through loss

When blind veteran Glynne lost his wife of 44 years, the silence in their home was overwhelming. At 87, newly diagnosed with macular degeneration and glaucoma, he faced not only the loss of sight - but also independence and connection.

That began to change when his Community Support Worker, Lily, introduced him to the National Creative Wellbeing Project (NCWP). Glynne shares in his own words how these projects have helped his wellbeing and brought renewed purpose.

“I used to make things.”

"I lost my wife last April which was a great blow. We’d been together for 44 years and suddenly, she wasn’t there. After that, I didn’t want to know anything.

"I live on my own, and even with lots of friends and family nearby, it was no good. I try to keep a stiff upper lip, but nothing is the same as having your partner with you. 

"My Community Support Worker, Lily, asked what I used to enjoy. I told her I used to make things. I’d been a mechanical fitter most of my working life, working with my hands, following drawings.

"She told me: 'I think we’ve got something you’ll like'."

"The glue got everywhere."

"The first kit I received in the post was a Mandela mosaic. It came with little ceramic tiles in numbered bags, instructions for each step. I just followed it piece by piece and took my time with it.

"The glue got everywhere, and the tiles were slippery little critters. I hadn’t done anything like that since losing my sight - it took me three or four days to finish it. I found that I really enjoyed doing it."

"I get so focused my bones go to sleep."

"The kits require quiet and focus, so I sit in my front room and turn the telly off. I use my LED lamp and magnifier that I was given by the charity and find that I can be sitting there for hours and hours. I get so focused that my bones go to sleep. I think I might need a comfier chair!

"Since then, I’ve done all sorts - coasters, a dragon boat, an angel fish, the Taj Mahal, a hedgehog, and now I’m halfway through a battle tank. I have to say, that one’s the most difficult. I’ve had to leave one part for now as I couldn’t quite work it out. But I won’t let it defeat me. You’ve got to stick with it. I’m hoping to finish it soon, as another one just arrived in the post. It’s a squirrel model, which I found jammed in the letterbox, so I rescued it. The poor thing."

"They really took an interest."

"I was encouraged by Lily to bring some of my pieces along to a local meet-up that I attend.

"We meet every month, and we call it a lunch club because we always get fish and chips. Around 18 of us meet - men and women - and we all get along. We share stories from our time in service. It’s a good group and I always come away having had a good chat and a laugh.

"It’s great to be around other people who are ex-Forces, and there’s a few that share the most brilliant wartime exploits. Some of the best stories I've ever heard.

"They've been very supportive of my projects. They really took an interest, which gave me a real boost to keep going."

"It's opened a new window."

"I was sort of lost before I started doing all of this. But the people who have come into my life since I started... it feels like it’s really opened a new window.

"People are interested in what I’m doing. Even my family come round to see what I’ve made and ask me questions about what I’m doing next. My sister says I need to put up a shelf to display them – I think I will!

"I still have my down days of course… I think anyone who’s been through losing their partner will understand. But these kits, the people I’ve met, the support - they’ve made a real difference. 

"I would recommend the creative projects to others, but more importantly, I’d say: find something that interests you. It might not be this, but something that gets you interested. That’s what keeps you going."