Blind Veterans UK: Ski Trip for Blind Veterans – A Positive Pathways Case Study

This case study highlights Blind Veterans UK’s Ski Trip for Blind Veterans project, which received a grant of £70,000 from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust’s Positive Pathways programme.

The national charity supports vision-impaired veterans to lead the life they choose. It provides veterans with rehabilitation, training, practical advice and emotional support, and the ski trip project provides beneficiaries with the opportunity to train and prepare for the physical challenges of hitting the slopes.

Organisation name: Blind Veterans UK
Project name: Ski Trip for Blind Veterans
Location/area: UK and Italy
Grant amount: £70,000
Award date: November 2019
Grant duration: 2 years
Grant programme: Positive Pathways

Anne, an Army veteran, has been receiving support from Blind Veterans UK since March 2019. She has been diagnosed with Macular Degeneration and has other conditions that affect her mobility, confidence, and ability to remain independent when getting about outside her home. Her mental and physical wellbeing had suffered, and she felt that she had become a burden to her husband and her family. Support from Blind Veterans UK became a lifeline for Anne, and she also built friendships with other Blind Veterans UK members. They encouraged her to physically challenge herself, and before long, Anne became involved in the Ski Trip programme.

‘Anne also suffered from Charles Bonnet syndrome which can impact her wellbeing and sleeping, so she had been through our 5 Ways to Wellbeing programme. Anne had attended online fitness sessions, peers support activities, a ladies-only chat group and regional support activities. She was still anxious about the trip but knowing she could bring her husband along really cemented the belief in her that she could do it – both of them loved being out on the slopes together learning this new activity.’

Blind Veterans UK received a grant of £70,000 over two years for the ski trip from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust’s Positive Pathways programme, which included financial support for every stage of the project, from training and support for participants during the preparation, to flights, accommodation, ski passes, ski hire, guides and transport.

The trip is an annual programme that has proved extremely popular with the charity’s members who have participated, all of whom have benefited from the experience before, during and after the event.

The charity said:

‘The main aim [of the project] was to facilitate support for the differences within our beneficiary population, and to provide access to active lifestyles and sport for our blind veterans. This activity involved support from several different professionals from within our charity: physiotherapists, occupational therapists, ROVI (Rehabilitation Officer Visual Impairment), the health and wellbeing team, a sports therapist, a community support worker, and volunteers.’

Blind Veterans UK

The grant from Positive Pathways supported the 2021 cohort, which included Anne and a further 40 direct beneficiaries. An additional 15 beneficiaries participated in all stages and the assessment associated with the programme but did not make the ski trip to Italy this time due to the impacts of Covid-19. They were, thankfully, still able to gain significant support and benefit during the preparation stages, for example through socialisation with other members, physical fitness guidance and other advice.

The reduction in traveling participants also resulted in a reduction in costs for the charity.

The grant was initially expected to cover 75% of the total cost, but with some participants eventually unable to travel due to concerns around Covid-19, the funding provided by the Trust did cover almost all of the costs involved. ‘During these difficult times the funding that has been provided through the Trust has allowed us to maintain this activity, which would have been extremely difficult to do otherwise, so the members are very thankful for the support which has been provided’,

Glynis Gilliam, working age case manager at Blind Veterans UK, explains more about the ski trip project and how it addresses the aims of the Positive Pathways programme.

‘Our project focuses on providing an annual ski trip to blind veterans who have been identified either through our outcomes framework or direct application as a blind veteran who could benefit. We have been offering this service for many years but have refined the offering in light of our recent beneficiary survey conducted by the Kings Centre for Military Health Research. This study indicated that many of our beneficiaries were at risk of poor mental health due to social isolation, loss of peer groups and low self-esteem.

In response to this we launched a new five-year strategy which focuses on increasingly offering activities to beneficiaries centred on building unity and improving self-confidence and self-esteem. Our ski trip is a core part of this offering.

During the week-long trip, beneficiaries are pushed to explore their own personal boundaries (identified using our outcomes framework), through skiing, social activities and conversations with supporting staff. The overall aim is to see recordable improvements against our outcomes framework at the end of the trip.

After the conclusion of our ski trip, further referrals both within Blind Veterans UK (for example to our counselling service or life skills programme) and outside of the organisation (for example to Combat Stress) will be made if needed.

There is exceptional demand for this activity amongst our beneficiary population due to the benefits which come with attending each year. Demand outstrips the number of places we can provide; we therefore envision running our ski trip each year to support as many beneficiaries as possible.’

Glynis Gilliam, working age case manager at Blind Veterans UK

How do you know this type of project is needed?

‘The need for this activity has been identified through multiple sources. First and primarily through the beneficiary study conducted by the Kings Centre, which identified that our beneficiaries were at an increased risk of, and experiencing increasing incidences of, mental health difficulties especially depression and substance abuse. These were primarily being caused by lost confidence, social isolation and low self-esteem, all of which occur after sight loss.

In response to this report, we launched a new five-year strategy placing activity-based solutions to social isolation at its heart. With our ski trip being something that has been run in various guises in the past, it has formed a pioneering part of this solution. We have been able to use the trip to test various new tools for supporting our beneficiaries, such as referrals to our life skills project.

Secondly, we offer the project because of beneficiary demand. A beneficiary committee helps to organise this event and makes suggestions for improvements in delivery each year.’

Assessing need and delivery of the project

The ski trip project is a key component in the rehabilitation pathway offered by Blind Veterans UK, and funding from the Trust enabled a range of activities to take place, from needs assessment and support throughout the training and preparation stages, through to the week-long series of activities on the slopes.

Challenges with the pandemic meant that the project had to adapt, such as offering online fitness sessions for participants, but these turned out to present opportunities as well as difficulties: ‘Unfortunately due to Covid-19 we have not been able to do as much face-to-face support as we would normally be able to do. But we were able to engage our veterans through a number of support avenues, especially online support […] We were able to create more connections’, said the charity. Covid-19 also meant the ski trip had to be postponed, from 2021 to 2022.

The 15 beneficiaries that did not make the ski trip thankfully did benefit from earlier participation and this increased engagement, and the option to travel and hit the slopes may be available to them again in the future.

Christopher Niesyto, Trusts and Foundations Manager at Blind Veterans UK, explains how beneficiaries’ needs are assessed before they are accepted for the ski project:

‘During phase one, our beneficiaries’ level of need is categorised into a rating system. The primary needs identified for many of those we support are emotional wellbeing, skills development, and befriending/peer support. However, it is important to note that physical activity, activities of daily living and health management are also significant needs.

The blind veterans interested in the skiing activity are assessed regarding their physical abilities and then connected with the ski club committee if they are at an appropriate point for them to participate in this activity. The assessment relates to their physical capabilities and their mental wellbeing.’

Another beneficiary that was able to participate in the ski trip project is Ben, who joined the Royal Artillery in 2008. After just two months of his first operational tour in Afghanistan he suffered serious injuries to his eyes and head as a result of an IED explosion, as well as sustaining other injuries. Despite being left totally blind, Ben was determined to try to regain some of his physical capabilities with the support of Blind Veterans UK and the ski trip project. He had always been into sports and competition.

Ben had skied before, and he jumped at the opportunity to get involved in this sport again. He had experienced several personal issues in the 18 months before the trip, as well as dealing with the physical and mental challenges he experiences as a result of his injuries. The project helped him to focus on physical activities, became a welcome distraction and supported his recovery: ‘I had a lot of ambitions in the British Army, and I still have those ambitions – no bomb is going to take that away from me and nor is having no sight. I’m not going to let anyone rob me of those ambitions […] I want to realise my potential [because] I’m still here.’

On the impact of the project on the beneficiaries that were able to take part, Blind Veterans UK notes a number of positive effects and improvements to participants’ health and wellbeing:

‘For our blind veterans, being able to participate in an activity which gives them a real sense of worth and value is important. They can participate in a manner which fits in with their sight loss issues, due to the use of use radio wireless headsets – they are able to be navigated down the slopes safely but have that real sense of freedom.

Over the two years of funding provided, this project has had a significant positive impact upon the lives of our beneficiaries and we have recorded notable progress against markers such as physical health, socialisation and wellbeing.

For those who attended, the ski trip made a substantial impact upon their lives. For some beneficiaries this impact was interventional in nature and assisted them in starting a positive journey to overcoming additional difficulties within their life alongside sight loss [as with Anne and Ben and others].’

Blind Veterans UK

The charity notes the multiple challenges faced by the project over this period due to Covid-19, along with so many other projects; however, the charity and its beneficiaries were able to adapt and, in some cases, find new opportunities and ways of working. The charity also believes there are more blind veterans that would benefit from this activity and it plans to further improve promotion and increase awareness in the future. ‘Interest in attending is up year on year, highlighting the success and growth of this project’, said Christopher Niesyto. ‘This success, plus beneficiary feedback, has encouraged us to continue offering this project long term. The cost of the project is low compared to the significant impact and individual benefits. Given the climate this project took place in and the significant benefits we have witnessed, we have been delighted with our ski trip and look forward to the future of this project’