Buckingham Palace beckons blind veteran Tony Canning today (Thursday) at a garden party to mark the centenary of Blind Veterans UK.

The 84-year-old from Deal joins 1,000 others in celebrating 100 years of proud service to ex service men and women who have lost their sight.

Tony served in the Royal Navy from 1948 until 1951. He was a pilot and was stationed mainly in the UK and Malta, eventually leaving the Navy as a Pilot 4.

Tony first noticed he was starting to lose his sight in 2002 and was later diagnosed with age related macular degeneration (ARMD).

He said: “At first I didn’t notice anything wrong my sight. Slowly but surely though I started to lose my central vision and things became much harder.”

He started receiving support from Blind Veterans UK in 2013 after a family friend referred him after receiving their help.

Specialist equipment and training by Blind Veterans UK has been given to him including computer software.

“Blind Veterans UK is marvellous. I had an induction course at the charity’s Brighton centre and everyone was very kind and supportive. They even helped me get into arts and crafts when I mentioned I was interested in trying it out.”

His wife Susan will attend the garden party with him.

“I’m delighted to be part of Blind Veterans UK’s 100th birthday celebrations and really looking forward to spending the day with friends at the palace.”

Formerly St Dunstan’s - Blind Veterans UK was founded in 1915 to help soldiers blinded in the First World War.

It has since supported more than 35,000 blind veterans and their families from a plethora of past conflicts.

Chief Executive of Blind Veterans UK, Major General (Rtd) Nick Caplin CB, said they are proud to celebrate at Buckingham Palace. “It will be a fantastic day for our veterans, whatever the weather!

“This anniversary also provides the opportunity for us to look forward to the challenges that lie ahead for Blind Veterans UK. It is a critical time for our charity as the number of blind veterans we support is increasing; in the past year, more blind veterans have registered for our help than ever before in the charity’s history and this trend is set to continue.”

For more, visit: blindveterans.org.uk