Volunteering to be celebrated with 5km walk

To mark National Volunteering Week, a group of volunteers in South Wales have come together to plan a five-kilometre sponsored walk to raise awareness of our volunteering opportunities.

The volunteers will be taking to the pathways around Bute Park in Cardiff between 10am and 3pm on 18 June.   

Invaluable support

Our Volunteer Coordinator in South Wales, Olga, has organised this walk for the volunteers. She says:

“Volunteers play an essential role in our team; they provide invaluable support to our veterans offering transport, assistance and companionship which helps to reduce social isolation."

Olga continues:

“The dedication and selflessness of our volunteers truly make a difference, and we are incredibly grateful for everything they do which is why I wanted to organise this event to bring them together and to celebrate them.” 

During the walk, the volunteers are hoping to speak to other park visitors and to tell them about the work of our charity and their volunteering roles, while also coming together to raise money for the charity they all care about. 

Blind veteran and volunteer 

Among those taking part in the walk are blind veteran Noeline and her husband John, who both volunteer for the charity. Noeline runs a lunch club in Cardiff bringing together blind veterans for a regular social meet up. John volunteers as a driver escorting blind veterans to the club or to vital appointments.  

Noeline, 73, has been supported by our charity for five years after she lost her eyesight due to macular degeneration. She says:

 “I began to be supported by the charity just as the Covid pandemic led to the country being locked down but, throughout 2020, I was regularly contacted by staff from the charity who checked up on me to make sure I was ok."

Volunteer driver

Another volunteer taking part is Phil who has been a driver for around a year. He started volunteering when he found he had time on his hands and wanted to support a worthy cause. He says:

“Volunteering means a lot to me; it gives me a sense of achievement. If you have a heart of compassion and a spirit of empathy, volunteering for Blind Veterans UK can be a satisfying and rewarding experience. Volunteering enriches the lives of the blind veterans but also my own.” 

Monmouthshire Building Society

Joining them on the walk will also be staff from the Cardiff branch of Monmouthshire Building Society who are supporters and volunteers of our charity. Assistant Branch Manager, Catherine, says:

“We wanted to volunteer with Blind Veterans UK because we truly value giving back to the community and making a positive impact wherever we can. Supporting those who have served our country is especially meaningful to us, and we feel it's important to show appreciation for their sacrifices.

"We're also passionate about learning how we can best serve others, and volunteering with Blind Veterans UK gives us the opportunity to grow, connect, and contribute in a way that really matters. It's a chance to make a difference while honouring those who have given so much."

The walk will take place during our Armed Forces Month campaign which calls on people to organise activities to celebrate and commemorate key dates in the month of June, the anniversary of D-Day and Armed Forces Day, while raising vital funds to support our work.    

You can support Olga and the volunteers with their fundraising: