blind veterans uk iMPaCt rePOrt 2014-15 A YeAr to remember

SerVeD.bLINDeD.SUPPorteD.

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introduction from a blind veteran

I returned to the UK in 1946 after being a Japanese prisoner of war for nearly four years. Like many others, I had lost my sight as well as my hearing. my future seemed very dismal, and I didn’t want to think about what lay ahead. this was until I was taken to blind Veterans UK.

I was given my confidence back bit by bit, through training such as learning braille. my main objective, as a man in his early thirties, was to find employment. After I married, I had the opportunity of opening a new post office, and my wife and I continued to operate it for 25 years. this was all thanks to blind Veterans UK, who helped me to purchase the property.

I have got so much out of my 70 years with blind Veterans UK, particularly the time I’ve spent at the brighton centre. there, I learnt to play bridge with braille cards and also bowling and archery. I was also very interested in amateur radio and became a first-class ham; every morning I would talk to other blind veterans on our radio net.

It is wonderful to share the year of my birth with the charity, and it was a great honour to be asked to unveil a plaque at the site of the charity’s first training centre. that took place on 29 January 2015, 100 years to the day from the charity’s foundation. this was a special day for my family and I, and a lovely opportunity for us to show our gratitude to blind Veterans UK for all the help we’ve received over the years.

I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has made the work of blind Veterans UK possible during the charity’s 100 years of service. It is an extraordinary charity, which makes an unbelievable difference to the lives of veterans like me, and our families too.

ron Freer Lance Sergeant in the royal Artillery

Here, He talks abOut tHe vital suPPOrt He Has

reCeived FrOM tHe CHaritY FOr nearlY 70 Years

tHIS YeAr, roNCeLebrAteD HIS

CeNtUrY WItHbLIND VeterANS UK

as Patron of blind veterans uk, i send you my warm good wishes as you mark your centenary year.

I am particularly pleased that this report shows that the charity is continuing to grow and develop its vital work in helping ex-Service men and women to discover life beyond sight loss.

my thanks and congratulations go to everyone involved in blind Veterans UK at this special time in the charity’s history.

elizabeth r

introduction from Her Majesty the Queen

Copyright Protected Image – © www.royalimages.co.uk

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Foreword from the Chief executive

this impact report covers a very special time in our charity’s history, as our past financial year also marked the start of the charity’s 100th year of service. as you read the report i hope it is clear that blind veterans uk is going from strength to strength, and that we marked our centenary year with some wonderful successes.

Critically in 2014/15, we continued the good work of previous years and increased the number of ex-Service men and women we are supporting. today, I’m delighted to say we support more blind veterans than ever before in our 100-year history. During the past 12 months, a record 854 blind and vision-impaired veterans registered to receive support from the charity. And the total number of veterans and family members we are helping has reached 6,783.

Vital to this growth has been our record-breaking fundraising work. In 2014/15, we raised £20.7 million in voluntary income – our best ever total over a 12-month period. Key wins that made this possible included three new national corporate partnerships and a £1.25 million grant from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund.

Importantly, in 2014/15 the charity continued to recruit more volunteers, with a record 428 people now volunteering for us. this generous support is playing a key role in the early stages of improving access to our services in local communities. Linked to this work is the need to increase the profile of blind Veterans UK. So I’m happy to report that, on the back of our centenary celebrations, public awareness of the charity has reached new heights.

most importantly, as the charity grows so we remain true to the original vision of our founder, Sir Arthur Pearson. one hundred years on from our foundation, we continue to provide veterans with the trademark rehabilitation, training and support they need to discover life beyond sight loss. And the inspirational achievements of our veterans continue to challenge people’s perception of blindness and what is possible when living with it.

I am very proud of the extraordinary achievements of our blind veterans and of our staff who provide such sterling support. I am also immensely grateful to all our supporters and donors, who make everything we do

possible. You are the reason why we have transformed the lives of more than 35,000 blind veterans and their dependents since 1915. And it’s only with your ongoing support that we can meet the increasing demand for our services and make sure no one who has served our country has to battle blindness alone.

Major General (rtd) nick Caplin Cb Chief executive

WeLCome tobLIND VeterAN UK’S

ImPACt rePort 2014-15FOrewOrd FrOM tHe CHieF exeCutive

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Our Year at a GlanCe

shaun stocker

blind veterans supported: 3,992 total charitable expenditure: £24 million Value of the help we’ve given our veterans: immeasurable

n We identified and began to support 854 blind veterans – our highest intake of beneficiaries in one year in our 100-year history.

n We raised £20.7 million in voluntary income – our highest annual total in our 100-year history.

n We increased awareness of blind Veterans UK to an average of £23% among our key target audiences – up from 18% last year.

n We were supported by 428 registered volunteers and achieved the prestigious Investor in Volunteering Award for our good practice in managing our volunteers.

n We made 803 home visits to provide veterans with training and rehabilitation, and a further 410 visits to provide property maintenance and advice.

854

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at the age of 19, and only six days before the end of his tour in afghanistan, shaun stocker stepped on an improvised explosive device and his life changed forever.

“As well as losing both legs above the knee, I lost my left eye and the vision in my right eye,” says Shaun. “I badly damaged my left hand and I lost my little finger. I dislocated and fractured my left shoulder and was sprayed with shrapnel all over my face and body. Losing my limbs is hard to live with but losing my sight is harder.”

Shaun has undergone several operations in the UK which have helped him to regain 30% of his sight in his right eye. He’s also had pioneering surgery on his limbs, which included a trip to Australia for a procedure called an osseointegration. this involved titanium rods being implanted into his bones, to allow for the quick and safe connection of prostheses.

Shaun acknowledges another important step in his recovery was the mobility training he received from blind Veterans UK. today, at 25, he is able to walk long distances for the first time since he was 19.

this advancement has now led to Shaun setting himself a remarkable

challenge for the spring of 2016. For every £1 donated to blind Veterans UK, he will walk two metres, with the aim of walking 100km to raise £50,000.

“I would like an opportunity to give back to blind Veterans UK. the charity has helped me so much since my injury.

“If I can use what has happened to me to ensure blind Veterans UK is able to continue supporting people like myself, then all the better.”

Get behind shaunYou can help Shaun complete his amazing challenge by giving a donation at www.justgiving.com/shaunstocker. Any amount helps.

SHAUN WASDetermINeD to Get HIS

blind veterans uk HelPed HiM everY steP OF tHe waY

INDePeNDeNCe bACK

£20.7 million

23%

428

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Our key achievements

Our aCHieveMents

n We trained 1,251 veterans to learn new skills and revisit old activities – a 48% increase on 2013/14. our veterans benefited from training in a variety of areas, from mobility and independent living skills, to It and recreational activities.

n We completed 62 introductory assessment weeks at our three centres.

n We completed 6,200 welfare assessments, mostly in veterans’ homes.

n We provided 732 weeks of residential and nursing care at our centres in brighton and Llandudno.

n We generated 2,799 mentions of the charity in the media – up 57% from 2013/14.

n We recruited 27,079 new supporters.

1,251

62

6,200

732

2,799

27,079

Joe Cousineau, Private 9

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but blind veterans uk Made sure JiM was Free tO enJOY liFe “losing my sight was devastating, but blind veterans uk has helped me regain my independence.” these are the words of Jim Hooper.

Jim joined the territorial Army in 1939, before becoming a founder member of the Army Air Corps’ Glider Pilot regiment in 1942. then, in 1944, Jim was taken prisoner by German troops at the battle of Arnhem, and was held as a PoW for seven months. After his release, Jim rejoined his regiment until he left service in 1946.

many years later, Jim was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. this illness has slowly robbed him of his sight, leading to Jim

being registered blind three years ago. but being a long-term supporter of blind Veterans UK, Jim was aware early on of the support available to him and got in touch with us as soon as he could.

Since that time, Jim has received emotional and practical support, including It training, which he’s found extremely beneficial. this is helping him read about things he’s interested in, be independent and communicate regularly with his family, which includes receiving photos of his great-grandchildren.

trooper darren blanks joined the king’s royal Hussars in 2003 and served two tours in iraq. there, his role involved transporting soldiers into combat situations – a job requiring great skill, courage and responsibility.

After leaving the Army in 2008, Darren’s life was shattered when a condition called Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy left him with only 30% vision. He was just 23 years old.

“Losing my sight left me feeling really depressed. It meant I had to give up work and couldn’t support my family. that was really hard. In the Army I was responsible for the lads, and then suddenly I was the one who needed looking after.”

A big turning point in Darren’s life occurred when he started to receive training from blind Veterans UK to use specialist equipment such as a handheld magnifier. this has allowed him to read again for the first time in two years and see photos of his youngest child for the first time.

With the support of blind Veterans UK, Darren is also embarking on a gym instructor course. He hopes to find a job that involves getting outdoors and his passion for exercising. His driving ambition is to work and look after his wife and children like he did before his illness.

blind veterans uk was tHere tO HelP HiM Get His liFe baCk On traCk

Our People

10

At 23, A GeNetIC

SIGHt LoSS CAN tUrN

ILLNeSS beGAN to rob

PeoPLe INto PrISoNerS

DArreN oF HIS SIGHt

IN tHeIr oWN HomeS

During the past 12 months, a record

854 blind and vision-impaired

veterans signed up for the charity’s help.

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Our Financials

Our total expenditure in 2014/15 was £30.2 million, a 4 per cent increase on last year. importantly, this 4 per cent rise supported a 10 per cent increase in the number of new blind veterans joining us.

total charitable expenditure our total charitable expenditure was £24 million, a 5.2 per cent increase on last year. this included:

HOw MuCH we raised HOw we sPent tHe MOneY raised

Providing care centre services 11,662

Providing welfare services 3,780

Supporting independent living 5,280

Providing housing 2,365

reaching more veterans 840

Fundraising & marketing costs 5,297

managing our investments 834

running our charity 92

total 30,150

1.5% 4%Our total income in 2014/15 was £27.2 million, a 1.5 per cent increase on the previous year. this is broken down as follows:

voluntary income Voluntary income of £20.7 million, an increase of 3.2 per cent. this consisted of £11.7 million of legacy income and £9 million of other voluntary donations. the cost of generating our voluntary income was £5.3 million, which means we raised a net total of £15.4 million to deliver our services.

income from investments Income from investments fell slightly to £3.6 million, down £0.2 million on last year. this resulted from a £0.3 million drop in income from our investment portfolio and a £0.1 million increase in our rental property income, due in part to higher occupancy rates.

income from charitable activitiesIncome from charitable activities remained the same as last year at £2.8 million. this was due to a greater number of blind veterans occupying and receiving support at our care centres, and a drop in the number of homes rented by our beneficiaries.

welfare services £3.8 million on welfare services, an 11 per cent increase.

independent living assistant costs £5.3 million on independent living assistant costs, a 17.5 per cent increase.

beneficiary recruitment costs £0.8 million on beneficiary recruitment costs,a 29 per cent increase.

Housing provision £2.4 million on housing provision, a 2.9 per cent decrease.

Care centre activities £11.7 million on care centre activities, which remained the same as last year, although the occupancy of centres increased.

expenditure 2014/2015 (in £’000)income 2014/2015 (in £’000)

Voluntary income 20,701

Investment income 3,613

Social investment income 34

Housing provision 960

Care centre fees 1,757

Sales & other income 102

total income 27,167

Planned draw down from reserves 2,983

total 30,150

Our supporters

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JoeY IS A FUNDrAISer mArIoN WANteD

eXtrAorDINArY LeNGtHS roLe tHAt mADeA DIFFereNCe

WHo GoeS to AN eNJoYAbLe

Joey sharma lives in the garrison town of aldershot, her husband served in the military, and a close relative has a vision impairment.

When she was on the lookout for a charity to support in 2012, it’s maybe not too extraordinary that Joey chose blind Veterans UK. but what is out of the ordinary is that Joey went on to become a super-fundraiser for the charity. Initially, this saw Joey power her way through six half-marathons, 10 marathons and eight ultra-marathons, including the gruelling marathon des Sables, as well as complete a three Peaks Challenge. She also organised an array of bake sales, festivals, games, events and fun runs, and joined the committee for organising some of our main events, including our annual carol concert.

then in 2015, Joey took her extraordinary fundraising to another level by setting herself the mammoth task of raising £100,000 for blind Veterans UK in our 100th year of service. this involves her taking on a series of tough challenges across the globe, including a 100km trek in mongolia, a midnight mountain marathon in the brecon beacons and a 250km challenge over seven days in the Kalahari desert.

to find out how Joey is getting on, and to give her amazing fundraising a boost, please head to www.justgiving.com/joeythelittletrooper

blind veterans uk turns Her inCredible eFFOrts intO liFe-CHanGinG suPPOrt

vOlunteerinG FOr blind veterans uk was tHe PerFeCt MatCH

when Marion rees moved to the area of saltdean in sussex, she was keen to find a volunteering role that was both rewarding and interesting.

After five years of volunteering as a befriender at blind Veteran UK’s centre in brighton, we’re pretty sure marion found exactly what she was looking for.

marion spends time with the blind veterans living at the centre and those visiting for introduction and activity weeks. She says, “I enjoy talking with every single one of the veterans because they have such fascinating and individual stories to tell – and they love to tell them.

“If it wasn’t for the time I spend befriending, I would never get to hear such interesting tales.” In recognition of marion’s passion for her work, we named her our Volunteer of the Year at our Founders Day Awards in march 2015. Like all of our volunteers, her generous efforts really do help to bring comfort and companionship to blind veterans who are discovering a life beyond sight loss.

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Our Partners

agustawestland celebrated its centenary in 2015 by making blind Veterans UK one of its charity partners. As part of the partnership, the helicopter design and manufacturing company set itself a fundraising target of £25,000, which it’s well on its way to exceeding.

this fantastic effort has so far involved members of AgustaWestland’s apprentice and student programme taking on the London marathon and 100-mile ride London cycle event. employees also visited our brighton centre to meet veterans, and they helped to cultivate a sensory woodland walk at our Llandudno centre.

annington Homes became one of our new partners in 2015. over the next three years the company is supporting the development of our Life Skills for Independent Living programme at our Llandudno centre.

Annington Homes’ employees have also raised money by completing challenges such as sky dives, the London marathon and the 100-mile ride London cycle event. Plus, we’re also benefiting from Annington’s knowledge and expertise in the area of property management.

vanguard Holdings ltd supported our centenary in a way that certainly turned heads. their large storage facility on the Western Avenue, near Greenford in Greater London, is famed for its rooftop inflatable

displays, and this year it featured our centenary inflatable.

this meant thousands of people in their cars, and many other people who live and work in the area, saw the inflatable every day for a month.

specsavers continued its superb support of blind Veterans UK, with 130 stores taking part in make a Spectacle of Yourself events. this saw staff dressing up and raising an incredible £25,000 during Armed Forces Week.

this year, Specsavers also became an official partner of our No one Alone campaign, which involved it generously donating £20,000 to help us reach more veterans. In addition, Specsavers employees continue to look out for and refer veterans to blind Veterans UK who they believe are eligible for our support.

our three-year partnership with the Monarch Foundation continues to go from strength to strength, with the organisation raising over £12,000 during Armed Forces Week from on-board collections. Plus, air crew members visited our brighton centre, where they got to chat to some of the veterans their fundraising is helping to support.

We also worked with monarch Airlines to deliver ‘sighted guiding’ training at Gatwick and Luton to help their cabin crew provide exceptional customer service to blind and vision impaired passengers. Following its success, we plan to organise further sessions at birmingham and manchester airports.

We were delighted to welcome revision Military as another new partner in 2015. the Canadian company develops and supplies protective soldier equipment to the military, and recently opened a new facility in the UK.

one of the main initiatives it will be supporting as part of our partnership is Project Gemini. It’s an exchange programme that allows military veterans from the UK, USA, Canada and South Africa to meet each other and share experiences and knowledge.

oUr WoNDerFULPArtNerS

1918

Our Celebrity supporters

durinG Our CentenarY Year, we reCeived ManY COnGratulatOrY MessaGes FrOM PubliC FiGures

and Celebrities. Here are Just a Few OF tHeM.

HAPPY 100tH bIrtHDAYbLIND VeterANS UK!

david Cameronthe Prime Minister sent us a special message that underlined the difference we’ve made to veterans’ lives for 100 years.

“For a century, you have brought support to those facing a life-changing disability; you’ve brought independence to those who thought their independent days were over; and above all you have made sure that no one who has served their country, who has made the hugest sacrifice on our behalf, will have to face blindness alone.

“thank you for all you do; and here is to another 100 years, serving those who have so bravely served us all.”

General sir nicholas Houghtonthe current commander of the defence staff of the british armed Forces celebrated our centenary with a message that highlighted the unique support we provide.

“I’m very delighted to wish blind Veterans UK a happy 100th birthday. Since 1915, blind Veterans UK has played a vital role in support of the military community. Its support and services for veterans, and the sense of family and community it creates for them, are not matched anywhere else.”

Joanna lumleythe award-winning actress and presenter expressed her continuing admiration of our work and how it helps veterans to discover a life beyond sight loss.

“I’d like to wish blind Veterans UK a very, very happy 100th birthday. I’ve long been a supporter of the charity’s great work that they do for our ex-Service men and women, including the Ghurkhas. So happy birthday, beloveds. I think you’re absolutely fabulous.”

roger Moorethe James bond actor sent warm birthday congratulations and reminded us that we are the best at what we do.

“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate blind Veterans UK, who since 1915 have been providing the help and support that blind ex-Service men and women need to discover there is life beyond the loss of sight. So congratulations, blind Veterans UK, and a happy birthday. Nobody does it better.”

to view more birthday messages visit www.blindveterans.org.uk/birthdaywishes

David Cameron portrait 2013 by Valsts Kanceleja/ State Chancellery from riga, Latvia

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How you can Help

in 2014/2015, you helped blind veterans uk identify and begin to support 854 blind and vision-impaired ex-service men and women. this is the highest number of new beneficiaries we’ve ever recruited in one year in the charity’s history. thank you.

but please remember there are thousands of other blind veterans out there who are eligible for our free and comprehensive help but are currently not receiving it. You can help us reach them and improve their lives in the following ways.

Your generosity becomes simple, life-changing solutionsWe can turn one-off and regular donations into support that really can help a blind veteran discover a life beyond sight loss. Find out more at www.blindveterans.org.uk/donatethe first item our founder, Sir Arthur Pearson, gave the veterans blinded in the First World War was a talking watch. today, just £10 provides a vision-impaired person with an item that instantly increases their independence.

being able to safely make a cup of tea in the morning is something we all take for granted. Not so for our blind veterans. that’s why £4 for a simple liquid level indicator is such a simple but wonderful way to improve the life of one of our veterans.

HoW YoU CANImProVe oUr

VeterANS’ LIVeStransforming blood, sweat and cheers into talking technologyHundreds of supporters pounded the streets of major cities and parks, scaled iconic buildings, jumped out of planes, peddled for hundreds of miles, organised concerts and events, and trekked from London to brighton in our annual 100k challenge.

We transformed their incredible efforts into life-changing support that included It equipment and training. this opened up a world of possibilities to our veterans and allowed them to take control of their life again.

So why not get involved in one of our events or organise your own activity to help us improve more lives? Find out more at www.blindveterans.org.uk/events

Just £130 can provide a vision-impaired veteran with a mobile phone which speaks to its owner to help them make and answer calls.

While £650 raised from a coffee morning, jumble sale or anything you want to do could buy an ex-Service man or woman a SuperNova Access Suite. this software reads what appears on screen, magnifies text and images and can work with a braille display so a veteran can read what’s on screen by touch.

Give a little bit of your timeAcross the UK, we have incredible volunteers who work at our head office and centres, and with our fundraising team. We also have lots of lovely people who visit veterans in their homes and accompany them on outings. Just having a simple chat can really brighten up the day of one of our veterans. And it’s safe to say that all of them have a fascinating story to tell.

to find out about all of our volunteering opportunities, please head to www.blindveterans.org.uk/volunteer

spread the word about blind veterans ukWe’re determined to raise awareness of the charity and the vital support we provide, to make sure more ex-Service men and women benefit from our unique services. Please help us do this by joining us on Facebook and twitter and then sharing our posts with your family, friends and followers.

facebook.com/blindveteransuk

@blindveterans

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blind veterans uk wishes to send special thanks to the following trusts and foundations for their kind and generous support in 2014/15.

Awards for All

brian Wilson Charitable trust

Caldbeck Christian trust

John James bristol Foundation

Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund

margaret Giffen Charitable trust

monday Charitable trust

Pilkington Charities Fund

royal Artillery Charitable Fund

Scott (eredine) Charitable trust

Shenmore trust

the Alan brentnall Charitable trust

the Albert Hunt trust

the Aldershot Church of england Services trust

the Armed Forces Covenant – Veterans Accommodation Fund

the band trust

the british Forces broadcasting Service

the bryan Adams Foundation

the Carmen-butler Charteris Charitable trust

the Castanea trust

the Charles Skey Charitable trust

the Charles Wolfson Charitable trust

the edna Johnson Will trust Charity

the Freemasons’ Grand Charity

the Gosling Foundation Limited

the John Armitage Charitable trust

the Liz and terry bramall Foundation

the mabel Harper Charitable trust

the macrobert trust

the rH Scholes Charitable trust

the royal Air Force benevolent Fund

the royal Navy and royal marines Charity

the Steel Charitable trust

the Westminster Foundation

the Wolfson Foundation

the Zochonis Charitable trust

blind veterans uk would also like to thank the following businesses and corporate partners for their invaluable support and generosity over the past year.

AgustaWestland

Annington Homes

bAe Systems plc

bbC

briefpage Limited

british Airways

Henderson Group

Hillier Nurseries Limited

Jupiter Asser management

London evening Standard

revision military

Specsavers

the monarch Group

the optician Awards

Vanguard Holdings Limited

Wilmington trust Services (London) Limited

Zurich Community trust (UK) Limited

Our sPeCial tHanks

CHanGinG ManY MOre livesNext year, we’ll continue to build on our excellent recruitment work. We aim to identify and begin to support a minimum of 850 new blind veterans, to help them discover a life beyond sight loss.

As part of this work, we’ll visit at least 80 per cent of these ex-Service men and women within one month of their referral to the charity. And we’ll make sure the average time all of our veterans have to wait to access an introductory week or training doesn’t exceed 12 weeks.

services that meet veterans’ needsAnother key goal for blind Veterans UK over the coming years is to develop new services and expand current ones to make an even greater difference to the lives of our blind veterans.

this year, we’ll use what we’ve learnt from our two Community outreach pilot projects to develop four similar projects for launch in 2016/17. this is an important step to providing veterans and their families with vital support in their communities and their homes.

We’ll also provide technology training programmes to younger veterans to increase their chances of securing employment or a place on a vocational training scheme. And we’ll begin to develop, build and deliver a new support service at our Llandudno centre to help vulnerable veterans who may be at risk of becoming homeless.

Making it all happenAbsolutely crucial to us identifying and supporting 850 new vision-impaired veterans and providing all of our blind veterans with the help they need is our fundraising work and the generosity of our supporters.

In 2015/16, we’ll be going to great lengths to make our existing corporate partnerships even more beneficial to the charity. Plus, we’ll be travelling across the UK to develop exciting new partnerships with local and national organisations.

We’ll also launch a second 100k challenge event in the north of england so many more people can get fit and raise money to improve the lives of blind and vision-impaired ex-Service men and women.

oUr PLANS FortHe FUtUre

Our Future

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www.blindveterans.org.ukblind Veterans UK, 12–14 Harcourt Street, London W1H 4HD tel: 020 77 23 5021 email: enquiries@blindveterans.org.ukregistered Charity No 216227 (england and Wales) and SC039411 (Scotland) © blind Veterans UK 2015

the UK’s first blind cabinet minister, David blunkett, and his dog Cosby, joined our Chief executive Nick Caplin and blind veteran ron Freer to mark the 100th birthday of blind Veterans UK at the site of our first training centre on 29 January 2015.