A BLIND veteran from Alcester is set to march at the Cenotaph in London this Remembrance Sunday.

John Hodges, 80, will be marching at the Cenotaph as part of the national Remembrance Sunday commemorations with more than 100 other blind veterans supported by Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women.

This year the commemorations are particularly significant as the nation marks the centenary of the end of the First World War.

John said: “It’s a great privilege to not only represent myself but also my family at the Cenotaph.

"I have a real sense of personal achievement by marching as after my sight loss I was extremely depressed.

“I will be remembering two of my great uncles who served in the Royal West Kent Regiment during the First World War and who sadly never returned. Their names feature on a memorial in France for those with no named grave. I will also be remembering those who I served with in Malaya.”

John joined the Royal Army Service Corps for National Service in 1958 and was immediately dispatched to Malaya, where he was part of the joint intelligence centre supporting active service units.

He lost his sight due to macular degeneration and starting receiving support from Blind Veterans UK in 2017.

John said: “When I was registered severely sight impaired I had to take early retirement, could no longer do voluntary work and became depressed and isolated very quickly.

"Luckily I found out about Blind Veterans UK. When I got back from my introductory week with the charity, my daughter said that she had got her dad back.”

He added: “They’ve allowed me to be a part of regular family life again by being able to do simple things, like cook, which you take for granted when you’ve got your sight.

"Through the arts and crafts courses they’ve put me on I’ve been able to take up painting again, something I wasn’t able to do for 20 years.”