A BLIND veteran from Crewe is set to march at the Cenotaph in London on Sunday.

Derek Everall, 86, will be marching with more than 100 other blind veterans as part of the national Remembrance Sunday commemorations.

The march is supported by supported by Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women.

Derek said: “I’ve marched at the Cenotaph four times before and there’s nothing like the feeling of being clapped and cheered on by the crowds.

“At Remembrance I think of one of my uncles, who was killed at Mount Casino in Italy during the First World War. He was my mum’s brother, and it was very sad for the whole family.”

Derek was called up for National Service in 1949 and joined the Royal Army Ordnance Corps.

He trained at Aldershot as a Clerk, before serving at Hilsea Barracks in Portsmouth.

Derek was discharged as a Corporal in 1951 although he remained in the Reserves for a further four years.

When Derek was demobbed he joined the railway works in Crewe and worked his way up to become a top machinist.

Derek began to lose his sight in 2008 due to central retinal vein occlusion and glaucoma. During this period Derek also became a widower, which meant he had to adapt to his sight loss alone.

He said: “It was a really difficult time because housework and cooking meals was suddenly a daily struggle.

“I also stopped playing bowls, which I had always enjoyed, and I felt really downtrodden.”

Fortunately, Derek found out about the support of Blind Veterans UK through one of his friends.

He has spent time at one of Blind Veterans UK’s rehabilitation centres in Llandudno, where he was given equipment like a magnifier to help him read his newspaper.

He has also enjoyed getting to know other blind veterans in his local area through reunions and lunch clubs.

Derek said: “I feel so much more confident in myself, and I’ve tried activities I’d never even thought were possible, like horse riding and clay pigeon shooting.

“Blind Veterans UK has really been tremendous.”

Specsavers stores across the UK will be fundraising from November 6-12 on behalf of Blind Veterans UK to help Derek, and others like him, march at the Cenotaph.

Specsavers has supported Blind Veterans UK since 2012 and, as well as raising money for the charity, has referred a number of customers to them so they can access its support.

The charity estimates that there are currently 59,000 blind veterans that would be eligible to access its specialist support, most of whom are not currently aware of it.

Nick Caplin, chief executive of Blind Veterans UK, said: “Remembrance Sunday is always a very poignant time for our blind veterans and it is fantastic that Specsavers is able to support them to get to march at the Cenotaph.”