Every ticket bought helps rebuild a life

When you take part in the Blind Veterans UK raffle, your tickets could provide blind ex-Service men and women with the rehabilitation, training, practical advice and emotional support they need to rebuild their lives.

Since 1915, Blind Veterans UK has been providing blind and vision-impaired veterans of all generations with the free services they need to lead full and independent lives. No matter when they served or how they lost their sight, blind veterans can receive lifetime support.

By entering our raffle, you could support blind veterans like Andy. When Andy was 14, his parents took him to see the film The Battle of Britain. From then, he says, “I was hooked into the camaraderie, the bravery and the whole spirit of what I saw as the Royal Air Force.” 

After school, he applied for an apprenticeship as an aircraft technician with the Royal Air Force. The training, he says, was “very, very tough.” Only 62 out of 180 completed it - and it shaped the man he is today. “The resilience, the positive approach. I'm not going to give in.”  

His 24 years of service included postings at RAF Kinloss and RAF Akrotiri, before he ran the Operational Line Maintenance Department for what was then Europe's largest airline. His plan was certainly not to retire at 61. His sight loss, from glaucoma, gave him no option.
 
Life with sight loss felt bleak. A huge turning point for Andy was his welcome week at our centre. He says, “The week did me a power of good. I came away with a lot of positive energy.” He realised there was life after sight loss. 

As Andy successfully rebuilds his life, his goal is to run the London Marathon. Firstly, he has to master running on a treadmill. “I can go off the back without me realising it!” he says. 

There are many blind veterans like Andy who need training, guidance, and specialist equipment to rebuild their lives and regain independence. By entering our raffle, you’re helping blind veterans live confidently and independently.