Derbyshire man marks 84th birthday with 84-mile fundraiser for military charity

A man from Derbyshire is marking his 84^th birthday by walking 84 miles in support of Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women.

James Barden from Dronfield turned 84 earlier this month and decided he would mark the occasion by taking on a challenge in support of blind veterans. For 28 days he will be walking three miles to reach his 84-mile target.

He said:

“I watched the coverage of the 80^th anniversary of D-Day and found it so moving that I wanted to do something to support those who sacrifice so much.

“I’ve always loved walking and am so lucky to have the Peak District on my doorstep so it seemed like a good challenge.

“What I hadn’t realised at the time was that I would begin to suffer with hip pain before the challenge was to start. It is now a double challenge as I am walking through the pain to complete it.”

James is walking with sticks to relieve the pressure on his back and has so far completed 26 miles. He is splitting up his daily miles by completing one and a half miles in the morning and the same again in the evening.

Born a year after the Second World War broke out, James has limited memories of that time, but his father was a firefighter and a tram driver in Sheffield. 

James said:

“I have just recently bought a book about the blitz in Sheffield. I was only three months old when the city was targeted. The Germans were hoping to destroy a steelworks factory which made a part for the Spitfire, but their bearings were wrong and they failed to hit the target. Instead, hundreds of civilian lives were lost and thousands were left homeless. My father never spoke about it but in his work as a fireman, I know what he saw must have been harrowing.”

James had suffered with problems with his eyes throughout his life which has made him think about sight loss.

He said:

“To me, blindness is the ultimate disability; it means so much to me to be able to support Blind Veterans UK and the work they do. I’m currently awaiting a cataract operation and the vision in my right eye is blurry, it has given me a small idea of what the men and women supported by the charity live with every day.

“I hope that by walking 84 miles, I can raise money to ensure the charity can continue to provide rehabilitation and support to blind veterans.”

James has already raised £300 for Blind Veterans UK. If you would like to support him to raise even more, please visit his JustGiving page. 

If you are inspired by James and would like to take on a challenge for Blind Veterans UK visit the charity’s website: blindveterans.org.uk/fundraise.   

Blind Veterans UK supports thousands of blind veterans across the country but knows there are many thousands more who still need its support to rebuild their lives after sight loss.          

If you, or someone you know, served in the Armed Forces, including National Service, and are now struggling with sight loss, then please get in touch. Call 0800 389 7979 or visit: blindveterans.org.uk/gethelp.