A BLIND veteran was heading to Buckingham Palace today for a garden party to celebrate the centenary of charity Blind Veterans UK.

Ken Maidens, 83, from Salesbury in the Ribble Valley will be visiting the palace with more than 1,000 other veterans helped by the charity.

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The event is being held to mark the military charity’s 100 years of service and support to blind and vision-impaired ex-service men and women.

Ken has received vital support from the charity since 2007 when he lost his sight due to age-related macular degeneration, a major cause of blindness and visual impairment in older people.

He said: “It stopped me driving, which felt like having my legs cut off. The first fortnight after I lost my licence, I did cry.”

Ken joined the Royal Air Force in 1952 and was posted to Singapore. After being given a job in technical stores, he joined the newly-formed RAF Changi Jungle Rescue Team.

Since losing his sight, he has devoted his time to helping others. He has been the chairman of the Ribble Valley Visually Impaired Group, a group of blind and part-blind people in the Ribble Valley, for twelve years. While his wife has organised outings for the group.

Blind Veterans UK have provided Ken with equipment including a CCTV reader, which helps him read and write documents, and do DIY.

He has also attended training courses at the charity’s Sheffield and Llandudno centres.

Speaking ahead of the garden party, Ken said: “I’m thrilled to bits and so is my wife. It’s going to be an outstanding event. We’re bound to meet someone we can natter away to.”

Chief executive of Blind Veterans UK, Major General Nick Caplin, said: “All of us at Blind Veterans UK feel honoured and proud to celebrate our centenary at such a special event. It will be a fantastic day for our veterans.”