Lincolnshire blind veteran to join over 30 other veterans at military charity centre

Wally Barnes, 78-years-old from Stamford, will join over 30 blind veterans at Blind Veterans UK’s Centre of Wellbeing in Llandudno for a week of festive fun. Unable to spend Christmas with his daughter this year, Wally will be able to enjoy an array of activities including crafting, a Christmas fair, a choir, and festive food tasting. Blind veterans at the centre will also come together for a traditional Christmas Day lunch followed by the King’s Christmas Day speech.

Wally says: “I'm so excited to be going down to the centre for Christmas this year and I’m looking forward to meeting the other blind veterans who will be there. It’s so important to be around others who are going through the same thing as you.”

“I was fortunate to spend Christmas there two years ago. All the staff are so friendly and helpful, and nothing is too much for them. I remember some of them from my last visit and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again.”

Wally’s daughter Sharon says: “It’s nice for me knowing that he’ll be looked after and won’t be on his own. He really enjoys his stays at the centre, there’s so many activities, always something to keep him occupied, and he really enjoys talking to other people who are in the same boat as him.”

Wally served in the Royal Engineers for nine years which included postings in Germany and Singapore. He says: "I really enjoyed my time in service, I made some lifelong friends and comrades and I got to travel to some amazing places."

It was later in life that Wally noticed his sight deteriorating after struggling to read road signs whilst driving one evening. He later found out that he was diabetic and was losing his sight to diabetic retinopathy.

After battling a period of depression, made worse by his vision impairment, Wally lucky found out about Blind Veterans UK and has been receiving the charity's support ever since.

He says: "I had really bad depression and was also having panic attacks. With my sight going I couldn't be around people, I just stopped going out."

"Blind Veterans UK taught me hope to cope with my sight loss and showed me how to use different pieces of equipment so I could remain independent. Things like my talking phone and tablet with their voice activated controls. They help me to stay in touch with people, I can do emails and even online banking now."

Blind Veterans UK supports thousands of blind veterans across the country, but knows there are many thousands more who still need its support to rebuild their lives after sight loss.

If you, or someone you know, served in the Armed Forces, including National Service, and are now struggling with sight loss, then please get in touch. Call 0800 389 7979 or visit: blindveterans.org.uk/gethelp

Find out more at: blindveterans.org.uk and follow us on Facebook at: facebook.com/blindveteransuk and on Twitter at: twitter.com/blindveterans.