Blind Veterans UK

History

Established in 1915, Blind Veterans UK was founded by Arthur Pearson, who lost his sight due to glaucoma. Due to the increasing numbers of blind British soldiers returning from the front lines during the First World War, Pearson established a hostel for these soldiers as well as blinded sailors and airmen. The intention was that, with training and assistance, they could go on to lead productive lives.

The Blinded Soldiers and Sailors Hostel's first location was in Bayswater Hill, London. Shortly after, the organisation moved to St Dunstan's Lodge in Regent's Park (the site of Winfield House), along with its first 16 members. The committee's work was praised by the London press at the time – a reference to the Lodge appeared in The Illustrated London News in 1915, which said: "in a corner of London's most beautiful park is a house where miracles are worked." American opera singer Pauline Donnan worked with the newly blind soldiers there, teaching vocal techniques and assisting some in finding singing or teaching jobs.

On Pearson's death in 1921, the chairmanship fell to Ian Fraser, who had been placed in charge of the charity's after-care activities by Pearson, providing assistance and social events such as reunion meetings for the blinded veterans after they had left the hostel in Regent's Park. Fraser had served during the First World War in the King's Shropshire Light Infantry and was blinded by a bullet on the Somme. Having become generally known by the name of the building in which it was based, the organisation then formally changed its name to St Dunstan's in 1923. Fraser remained as chairman until his death in 1974.

St Dunstan's opened its flagship training, convalescent, care and holiday centre in Ovingdean, Brighton, in 1938. The Brighton centre was one of the first buildings in Britain purpose-built for those with a disability and every aspect of its construction was specially designed for blind and partially sighted visitors and residents. Shortly after its opening, The Architect and Building News praised the centre's "magnificent views over the Downs and out to sea", as well as the thought that had gone into making the building ideal for the blind. The centre's residents included World War I veteran Henry Allingham, born 1896, who was briefly the oldest man in the world until his death in 2009.

During the Second World War, the charity admitted those who had lost their sight through their work in the auxiliary services, women's services and munitions factories, besides service personnel from Poland, Netherlands, United States, Canada and South Africa. Due to concerns about potential air raids on Brighton during the Blitz, the charity evacuated its operation from Brighton to the town of Church Stretton, Shropshire, where it occupied the Long Mynd Hotel and other buildings, setting up an industrial training centre and a hospital. In 1946, it returned to Brighton. As of August 2023, the centre moved to a new facility in Rustington.

The charity is under the patronage of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh, following her appointment in 2016. Her Royal Highness officially opened the Rustington Centre in June 2024.

The charity moved to its central London headquarters in Harcourt Street, Marylebone, in 1984. In 2021, the charity relocated its headquarters to a shared premises in Queen Square, alongside other sight loss organisations including the Thomas Pocklington Trust.

In 2000 the charity changed its constitution to allow veterans to join regardless of whether their sight loss was directly related to their service. In 2012, the charity formally became Blind Veterans UK, to help ensure the organisation and its work was "better recognised and understood".

Activities

Blind Veterans UK works to provide vision-impaired Armed Forces and National Service veterans with the services and tailored support they need to lead independent lives after sight loss. The charity's work ranges from helping veterans relearn vital life skills and providing them with the tools they need to be independent in their own homes, to offering new learning, training and recreation opportunities and providing long-term nursing, residential and respite care. It continues to assist veterans blinded in service, including men and women deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In 2012, Blind Veterans UK launched its No One Alone campaign to find people who are unaware that they may be eligible for its assistance. Research from the charity estimated that there are many thousands of ex-Service men and women in the UK who are eligible for its support.

Blind Veterans UK runs a wide variety of activities from its centre in Rustington, including photography, gardening and arts and crafts. Blind Veterans UK has a long-running writing competition, with those supported by the charity submitting their own original stories. The competition has had celebrity judges in the past, including Doctor Who star Jon Pertwee.

The charity also has a sporting reputation, organising blind sports like goalball as well as conventional sports such as shooting, archery and rock-climbing. Two representatives of Blind Veterans UK, Tony Parkinson and Ray Peart, participated in the 1976 Toronto Paralympics. Some Blind Veterans UK representatives have participated in extreme sports, including Billy Baxter, who holds the world record for fastest blind motorcyclist, and has served as the official Town Crier of Llandudno, North Wales by Llandudno Town Council since 2014. In 2018, a former Royal Marine, Steve Sparkes, became the first blind person to row the Pacific Ocean.

References

References

1. {{EW charity. 216227
2. {{Scottish charity. SCO39411
3. Rose, June. (1970). "Changing Focus – The Development of Blind Welfare in Britain". [[Hutchinson (publisher).
4. (1916-05-03). "St Dunstan's – The House of Miracles : Tony Allen". Worldwar1postcards.com.
5. [https://books.google.com/books?id=HO86AQAAMAAJ&q=Pauline%20Donnan "American Singer Develops Talent of Blinded Soldiers"] ''Musical Courier'' (October 17, 1918): 43.
6. "Ian Fraser, Lord Fraser of Lonsdale". Westminster Abbey.
7. (30 July 2009). "The funeral of Henry Allingham". The Guardian.
8. Crowe, Raynour, Tony, Barrie. (2011). "Church Stretton through the ages". Greengates, Church Stretton.
9. (23 June 2015). "Plaque tribute to hotel's war role. Building became HQ for charity helping blind veterans in WW2". Shropshire Star.
10. "Church Stretton through the ages".
11. "Our Brighton Centre of Wellbeing: 85 years of history".
12. (4 August 2023). "Spitfire flypast marks formal closure of Blind Veterans UK in Brighton".
13. "Patrons and trustees".
14. (7 June 2024). "Court Circular: June 7, 2024 – Opening of Rustington Centre". The Times.
15. "Annual Report and Accounts 2022–23".
16. [http://www.blindveterans.org.uk/about-us/st-dunstans-is-now-blind-veterans-uk/ Blind Veterans UK] {{webarchive. link. (May 8, 2012 St Dunstan's is now Blind Veterans UK)
17. (12 November 2023). "Blind Army veteran joins Remembrance Sunday march". BBC News.
18. "No One Alone". Blindveterans.org.uk.
19. (2013-10-21). "Blind WW2 veteran to front Blind Veterans UK's No One Alone campaign posters. | Blind Veterans UK". Blindveterans.org.uk.
20. "Whos that supporter? Doctor Who star Jon Pertwee at Blind Veterans UK | Blind Veterans UK". Blindveterans.org.uk.
21. (2012-08-21). "Blind Veterans UK and the beginnings of the Paralympic movement". Blindveteransblog.org.uk.
22. (25 January 2022). "Welsh Lives: Meet the UK's only blind town crier with an impressive world record". ITV News.
23. (29 August 2018). "Ex-Royal Marine Steve Sparkes becomes first blind person to row across Pacific Ocean". ITV News.