YEOVIL NEWS: Getting on their bikes for Blind Veterans UK

A FIVE-MAN group from AgustaWestland in Yeovil will be riding 100 miles from London to Surrey for Blind Veterans UK - the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women.

The team of staff are fundraising for Blind Veterans UK on Sunday (August 2, 2015) to celebrate the charity’s centenary and the 100th anniversary of Westland, now AgustaWestland, which started aircraft production at its Yeovil site in 1915.

Kim Floyd and Stephen Hitchcock are veterans of the Falklands War. Stephen, 53 and an aircraft engineer from Yeovil, was aboard warship RFA Sir Galahad hours before it was bombed, killing 48 soldiers and crewman. He joined the Royal Navy in 1978 and served on Sea King helicopters until 2001.

Stephen said: “I was inspired to get involved in the ride by my experience as a veteran. Blind Veterans UK helps veterans who have lost their sight for any reason, not just those blinded in service.”

Kim, also 53 and an aircraft engineer from Yeovil, served on Sea Harriers on aircraft carrier HMS Invincible. He joined the Royal Navy in 1979 and left in 2001 as a Chief Petty Officer Aircraft Engineer.

PHOTO – TOP: Kim Floyd, Steve Hitchcock, Mike Smith, Chris Hayward and Andy Roberts.

Kim said: “Being a keen cyclist and an ex-serviceman, I wanted to help Blind Veterans UK because it cares for our veterans, whether they are from the Second World War, recent conflicts like Afghanistan, or National Service.”

Andy Roberts, also 53 and an aircraft engineer, joined the RAF in 1979 and served 22 years. He left in 2001 as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer. Andy served in Germany, the UK, and Belize.

He said: “I wanted the challenge and the excitement of riding through the closed streets of London. And, as an ex-serviceman, I wanted to raise money for Blind Veterans UK because I felt a link to other servicemen less fortunate than me.”

Blind Veterans UK is AgustaWestland’s charity of the year for 2015. Staff from AgustaWestland visited the Blind Veterans UK centre in Llandudno earlier this year to experience the challenge of sight loss first-hand. They performed day-to-day tasks blindfolded, such as packing suitcases and making a cup of tea, and also tried blindfolded archery and shooting.

Throughout 2015, Yeovil-based AgustaWestland is also partnered with the Yeovil Opportunity Group (YOG), a local charity that provides respite care and special provision for families and children with additional needs.

The team’s Prudential Ride London to Surrey challenge will take them on closed roads from Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, on a 100-mile route through central London to Surrey, and then back to finish on The Mall.

To sponsor the AgustaWestland team as they tackle the Prudential Ride London in aid of Blind Veterans UK, please visit: www.justgiving.com/AWASAprudentialridelondon .

Tags:
News.