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News Supporters' stories

Making fundraising a family affair

Published on 17 Mar 2023

This Mothering Sunday two mums tell us how fundraising for us has become a family affair.

We hear from Emilia and Alison about what our charity means to their families.

Emilia

Emilia from Sutton in Surrey is fundraising for our charity after hearing so much about our work from her daughter who works for us.

She is taking part in the 55-mile London to Brighton Cycle on 10 September.

 

Emilia running passed Big Ben during a previous London Marathon
Emilia running passed Big Ben during the London Marathon
Emilia lifting her bicycle in the air with Buckingham Palace behind her
Emilia with her bike
A close-up of Emilia and Kim standing next to each other
Emilia and her daughter Kim

Emilia says:

“I love my sports and particularly running but after completing my tenth marathon in 2016, long distance running started to become challenging. I thought I’d just been overdoing it but finally sought medical advice and discovered I had a problem with my heart and was diagnosed with type two diabetes.
“I’ve recently undergone a heart operation and although my recovery is going well, I’m still unable to run. I love being a member of my local running club and I’ve found it lonely not being able to go out. I can, however, ride my bike and having the challenge of the London to Brighton Cycle to look forward to has really helped me with my physical and mental wellbeing.
“Knowing I am doing it for such a great charity has given me the extra motivation."
"My daughter has shared lots of inspiring stories with me about the blind veterans that the charity supports. These people have done so much for our country, and they should never be forgotten. This is my way of showing my thanks to them."
Emilia
Supporter
“It’s also great that in doing this I am showing support to my daughter and to her love for her job. She was so happy when she found out she’d got a job at Blind Veterans UK, the charity means so much to her. My daughter is wonderful, she is so kind. I am proud to be her mum and her friend.
“I want to raise as much money as possible for Blind Veterans UK and in addition to the London to Brighton Cycle, I will also be raising money by offering Choi Kwang Do classes at my martial arts school in Sutton. Participants won’t need to pay for the class but will instead be asked for a donation for Blind Veterans UK."
“I hope that my daughter is proud of me for taking on this challenge and more than anything I hope I can raise money and make a difference to the lives of blind veterans.”
Emilia
Supporter

Show your support for Emilia and help her to reach her £1,000 fundraising target

Go to her Just Giving page

Alison

Alison from Washington in Tyne and Wear has been working in the community as a personal assistant supporting a visually impaired member of our staff for four years.

Her son Ryan, who also lives in Tyne and Wear, has been inspired by his mum’s work and is taking part in the Great North Run on 10 September to fundraise for us.

Alison's role is to provide administrative support to one of our Rehabilitation Officers for the Visually Impaired (ROVI) and drives her to appointments at the homes of blind veterans.

Alison says:

“I really enjoy my role and have learnt a great deal about visual impairment. I love joining the ROVI on home visits where assessments are carried out and support is put in place to help blind veterans maintain, or increase, their independence. It’s very humbling to see how much the support means to the blind veterans.”

Ryan raised £710 for us running the Great North Run last year and has signed up to take part again this year.

Alison walking in the rain along a tarmac path with her Son Ryan and her dog
Alison with son Ryan and her dog
Ryan wearing a Blind Veterans UK t-shirt and running next to a man in a beer bottle costume
Ryan during the Great North Run in 2022
Ryan and Alison smiling with their arms around each other
Ryan and Alison
“Knowing the work that’s done and how the money is spent to help blind veterans discover a life after sight loss spurs me on to do the best that I can."
Ryan
Supporter

Ryan Said:

“I worked in the same role as my mum for a short time after finishing university and therefore have my own understanding of the challenges that blind veterans face in their day to day lives.
“I’ll visit my mum on Mother’s Day to let her know how grateful I am for what she has done for me over the years. By raising money for Blind Veterans UK, I hope that I’m letting the veterans know how grateful we are to them for their service and sacrifice.”

Alison says:

“I am so proud of Ryan for the fundraising he has been doing to support our veterans. I know he wants to beat his time from last year’s Great North Run so I’ll be there on the day to cheer him on and will be joining him at our Saturday morning park runs to help him get there. Go Ryan!”

Show your support for Ryan and help him to reach his £350 fundraising target

Go to his fundraising page