This year’s Festival Charity is Blind Veterans UK, formerly St Dunstans; the following information is from their web site.

Who we are

We are Blind Veterans UK and we believe that no one who has served our country should battle blindness alone.

That's why we're here to help with lifelong practical and emotional support which we provide to Armed Forces and National Service veterans regardless of when they served or how they lost their sight.

We help veterans recover their independence and discover a life beyond sight loss.

What we do

We provide vision impaired Armed Forces and National Service veterans with the person-centred services and tailored support they need to discover life beyond sight loss. Blind Veterans UK's work ranges from helping veterans relearn vital life skills and providing them with the tools they need to be independent in their own homes, to offering new learning, training and recreation opportunities and providing long-term nursing, residential and respite care.

Our birth

Sir Arthur Pearson, who owned the Evening Standard and founded the Daily Express, established Blind Veterans UK in 1915. Having lost his own sight through glaucoma, he was shocked at society's attitude to blindness. He decided to help those who had lost their vision in the First World War by giving them the care and rehabilitation they needed to lead constructive, self-sufficient lives.

Blind Veterans UK today

Nearly a century later, Blind Veterans UK not only cares for ex-Service men and women blinded in action, but for veterans who have lost their sight through accident, illness or old age. We have three centres (in Brighton, Llandudno and Sheffield) that provide residential and respite care plus sports facilities, as well as qualified welfare staff who help blind veterans across the UK to live independently within their own communities.

To find out more about our services to blind veterans, please download our Service Users' Guide from our website.

For further information visit the web site http://www.blindveterans.org.uk/