Blind Yorkshire Army veteran among 25 ex-service personnel walking every day in February for Blind Veterans UK

Brian Marshall, 69, from Doncaster, has been walking every day in January in preparation for the fundraising, which will start on Monday and last throughout February.

He will join 24 other blind veterans local to South Yorkshire in order to support Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-service men and women.

They will walk a distance of their choice every day with the total number of steps added up at the end of the month.

Mr Marshall said: “It’s great to be part of this challenge. It’s keeping me active and getting me out of the house.

"I put on my walking boots and a warm coat and I’m averaging about 12,000 steps a day.

The charity has been a brilliant support and I will do anything I can to help them. Hopefully this challenge will raise help some much-needed funds."

Mr Marshall joined in the Army straight from school and was medically discharged after a year of service when he lost the sight in his left eye.

He has since been diagnosed with glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) in his right eye and was registered blind in 2001.

But Mr Marshall found Blind Veterans UK and started to receive support from the charity in 2017 - though he was initially too "proud" to receive help and only accepted it once he lost his guide dog.

The veteran said: “I can only make out shapes now and I can’t see faces.

I heard about the charity a long time ago, but I didn’t make enquiries because I was proud and didn’t think that I needed their support.

"When I lost my guide dog a few years ago, I was encouraged to get in touch with the charity and reach out for their help. I have never looked back. What they have done for me and my wife has been amazing."

He regularly visited the charity’s training and rehabilitation centre in Llandudno, Wales, before the pandemic.

“I took part in a driving week at the centre which was fantastic," he said.

"I lost my driving license when I lost my sight, so it was my first time in front of the wheel in 34 years. I’ve also been on cookery weeks and taken part in archery classes. The charity has also given me and my wife a tandem because we love to cycle."

The charity has provided the walkers with a pedometer so that they can count their steps every day.

The 25 veterans will be split up into five groups and the winning team with the most steps covered will be announced at the end of the month.

Mary James, community team leader at the charity, said: “We decided to organise this community challenge to not only encourage the veterans to be active during the lockdown period but to also bring the members together virtually.

"It’s been lovely to hear all their feedback of how their walking is going so far and a few of them are getting very competitive.

“Hopefully we can raise as much money for the charity as we can. There are so many veterans out there that don’t know that they are eligible for our support because they have never heard of us. It would be great if this challenge could help raise awareness of the charity."

Mr Marshall will be doing the walk alongside his wife Barbara.

He said: “My wife has been an amazing support to me, and the charity have been there for both of us.

"Blindness is a horrible thing but there is life after it. You do have to adapt, and it isn’t easy but with the right support it is possible."

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic Blind Veterans UK has adapted its service to support its 5,000 beneficiaries, 90 per cent of whom are over 70 and are being advised by the Government to self-isolate.

Nicky Shaw, Blind Veterans UK director of operations, said: “Having to self-isolate, blind veterans need our help right now with daily tasks, such as the shopping, and constant emotional support through this difficult time.

"So we are temporarily changing our service and mobilising our staff to provide practical, essential support to help the most vulnerable.

“There is so much that we can and must do to support blind veterans to help them maintain physical and emotional wellbeing, and to feel safe, reassured and cared for during this crisis.”

To support Brian and other veterans on their walking challenge, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/com12steps