Lost and Found Appeal
Blind veterans don’t only lose their sight – they often lose their hope, their happiness and their independence. With your help, they can find them again.
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Imagine losing the very things that make life joyful and fulfilling.
For the many blind veterans, this is their reality. Terry and Jim are just two of our veterans who not only lost their sight, but also their independence, hobbies and their happiness. RAF veteran Terry fell into a deep depression when he could no longer engage in his busy life and creative hobbies. Blind veteran Jim, an avid gardener, saw his confidence and wellbeing plummet after losing his sight.
But with your support, Terry and Jim found new ways to bring joy and purpose back into their lives. Can you help more blind veterans find something they’ve lost?
Terry says our charity has pulled him back from "the abyss".
The turning point was when Rehabilitation Officer, Karl, said, "let's discover what you CAN do".
Terry has dry macular degeneration in both eyes plus one damaged retina. Severely vision-impaired, Terry had been knocked sideways by losing so much. He'd had to stop woodcarving, electronics, travelling. Karl's encouragement gave him hope.
At our centre, Terry tried lots of crafts and found many that he could manage. Rediscovering hobbies has filled his life with purpose again and he has become really talented at pyrography and mosaics.
Of course, it's not simple for someone with sight loss to travel. Like many blind veterans, Terry lost the confidence to use public transport and go on holiday. But, our Rustington Centre is easy for him because our drivers collect him from home. Without this service many of our blind veterans wouldn’t be able to get to our centres. Terry is so happy to have found another way to have a break.
Blind veterans like Terry need your support so they can continue to visit our Centres. Terry loves the centre and feels safe there. "They've made it so that it's sympathetic to people with visual problems", he says.
It's a place for all blind veterans to discover the things they CAN do.
"Blind Veterans UK have been - without any exaggeration, without being dramatic - a life saver. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Can't fault them"
Blind veteran
Jim found joy again and was inspired to help his fellow veterans.
Jim said that any time he needed help, he only had to call. He particularly enjoyed the device we provided that helped him read via a computer. He was able to continue gardening, thanks to the support, and enjoyed it so much that he wanted others to rediscover it, too.
He created seed packs with accessible instructions and the charity sent them out to blind veterans' homes. Hundreds of dahlias, tomatoes and beetroots were grown. Recipients were so thrilled, he devised a new seeds pack. Soon, more blind veterans who lost out on gardening will be able to grow broad beans, cabbage, broccoli and leeks. Jim's legacy includes helping his fellow veterans and brightening gardens for years to come.
Jim recently won the Charity's Founders' Award for Camaraderie, with votes cast by his fellow veterans. This shows what an impact his hard work had. Jim was thrilled to have given people such an enormous boost.
Very sadly, Jim died in August 2024. He will be missed by his many friends at the charity and always remembered for his kind and generous spirit.
Our charity sends a huge variety of creative and gardening kits out to blind veterans throughout the year. Donate today and you can help someone find happiness again by focusing on a new hobby or creative interest.
Let's help them find happiness again.
Sight loss is traumatic but it's even worse when our veterans also lose the hobbies and day-to-day activities that gave them a purpose and brought them joy.
Donate today and you can help blind veterans find something they lost.
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