Blind veteran from Milton Keynes set to climb Ben Nevis mountain at 87
An 87-year-old blind veteran from Milton Keynes is preparing to climb Ben Nevis to raise money for charity on Armed Forces Day.
John Banfield, from Milton Keynes, is taking on the challenge of scaling the highest mountain in the British Isles on June 27 to raise money for Blind Veterans UK - the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women, which has supported him since he lost his sight.
John said: “It would be wonderful to reach the top of Ben Nevis; I’d be proving that age and sight loss are not a barrier to any challenge you set your mind on.”
He credits his 16-year-old granddaughter Lilly as being his inspiration to climb Ben Nevis. Lilly is hoping to follow in John’s military footsteps and join the Army Medical Corps later this year.
John said: “I’ve been supporting Lilly with her fitness training; we’ve been going out walking together and I’ve been teaching her exercises to build her core strength. As a result, I came up with the idea of setting myself a challenge.”
Lilly said: “I find training with grandad very inspiring as he is always pushing till he’s on his last limb. Our training consists of long hikes of around 10 miles along the canal. I look up to my grandad and wish to be just like him when I’m his age. Climbing Ben Nevis at 87 isn’t something that many could achieve but I have every faith that he will succeed.”
Joining John on his climb will be a RAF veteran and a trainee paramedic who will be wearing a camera to capture his achievement.
John completed National Service in the Army with the Royal Engineers as a sapper between 1958 and 1960 and then enlisted part-time with the National Service to serve on call for another three years.
He says: “My twin brother and I were evacuated from London during the Second World War when we were very young and our mother didn’t want us back until she needed us for housing points! Joining the Army was my first sense of being part of a family.
John realised he was losing his sight eight years ago when driving home at night. He thought the street lights had been dimmed but then noticed that he couldn’t see the television properly either.
It was discovered that John had age related macular degeneration in both eyes and glaucoma in his right eye. In 2019, he was registered as vision impaired. He says: “I have accepted that sight loss is something that can happen when you age; I never thought I’d reach the age I have. I had a bad start in life so I’m lucky to be here.
John started receiving the support of Blind Veterans UK four years ago after seeing an information stand in Milton Keynes town centre.
He said: “I have a Community Support Worker from the charity who visits me; I’ve been provided with an accessible phone, a watch and additional lighting in my home. All of these things make a huge difference to my life. More than anything, being a part of Blind Veterans UK gives me the camaraderie that I used to have during my Army days.”
Victoria Beech from the Blind Veterans UK Community Partnerships team says: “We’re so proud that the support we’ve given has prompted John to take on such an epic challenge.
“Family, friends and even the team at Extra Care Charitable Trust, who run the retirement village where John lives, are doing all they can to make sure his challenge is a success and raises as much as possible to support blind veterans.”
You can visit John’s fundraising page to support him on his climb for Blind Veterans UK.
If you know someone who served in the Armed forces, including the National Service who is struggling with sight loss, you should call 0800 389 7979 or visit the Blind Veterans website.