Blinded veteran pulls in recruits

Ten years ago Simon Brown was one of the first soldiers to enter Iraq.

He was 24 and looking forward to active service.

But a shot in the head while on duty blinded the Morley soldier, changing his life forever.

Now aged 34, Simon works for the charity which helped him rebuild his life.

Blind Veterans UK is a national charity for blind servicemen and women. Simon now travels the country raising awareness of its work and also recruiting new members.

“Iraq changed me just as much mentally as it did physically, and 10 years on the scars are still there,” says Simon.

“Blind Veterans UK helped me through the very worst times and for that I am very grateful. Supporting the charity by working at it and trying to spread the word about its work as much as I can is my way of saying thank you for everything they have given me”.

Simon joined the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in 1997, aged 18, and worked on Army vehicles serving in Germany, Kosovo, Poland, Canada, Oman and lastly, Iraq.

During his service in Basra, Iraq, Simon, then 28, was shot in the head while rescuing six of his colleagues whose vehicle had broken down.

Simon’s colleagues rushed him to emergency treatment at nearby Basra Palace, where he was given a lifesaving tracheotomy to let him breathe.

Then he was airlifted by helicopter to the base hospital where he had the first of many operations to rebuild his face.

A day later he was transferred back home for further treatment and rehabilitation at the UK’s Selly Oak hospital in Birmingham.

His cheekbones and nose were reconstructed using titanium, his jaw broken and remoulded and a prosthetic eye fitted.

Now, Simon is living independently, largely due to practical and emotional support from Blind Veterans UK. When Simon first joined the charity , he visited its Sheffield centre for training where he was given a great deal of practical support. This included a rehabilitation programme to help him adjust to sight loss.

As well as practical support Simon was also given emotional care through regular contact with a dedicated welfare officer.

“As well as all the invaluable and practical support offered by Blind Veterans UK, it was the sense of belonging and understanding from their community that’s really helped me to stay positive,” says Simon.

After taking various rehabilitation courses through Blind Veterans UK, Simon has an IT qualification and has studied teaching at college. Now he’s living his life to the full and works for Blind Veterans UK as a membership officer. He’s also a volunteer presenter in schools, speaking to primary school children around the country. As a testament to his growing confidence, Simon was recognised for his contribution to charity with a general officer commanding commendation, he was also an Olympic torchbearer.

“My experience there (Iraq) was very challenging; it changed me as a person,” says Simon.

“The invasion stage of my deployment was in actual fact less difficult than the peacekeeping stage. We were trained to invade and fight whereas the re-building stage was something we were not used to doing.

“One day I was fighting a war, the next I was giving out water, and helping to re-build a community. A very sudden transition was asked of us when the invasion stage was over, and we had to suddenly change our whole approach and act with a solely compassionate and helpful attitude.

“I do feel a real sense of achievement when I think about my time In Iraq, and I know that my comrades feel this too. We went in there and did exactly what was asked of us. Seeing the real jubilation on the faces of the Iraqis and hearing them shout ‘liberation’ through the streets, is something I will never forget”.

Blind Veterans UK began its No One Alone campaign to reach out to more people such as Simon.

www.noonealone.org.uk or telephone: 0800 389 7979.

Only the name has changed

Founded nearly 100 years ago, Blind Veterans UK – formerly St Dunstan’s – is the national charity for blind ex-service men and women.

The organisation cares for those who are blinded during military service, like Simon Brown, as well as for veterans who lose their sight later in life.

Recently, the organisation started promoting its No One Alone campaign to reach out to the estimated 68,000-plus blind veterans who could be eligible for support but do not realise this.

The charity says that it now needs £100m over five years to continue providing lifelong support for blind ex-service men and women.

More details about the organisation and the appeal have been posted online – at www.blindveterans.org.uk, on Facebook – at www.facebook.com/blindveteransuk and on Twitter – at twitter.com/blindveterans.