Not many people know this, but before launching Everything Global our CEO Paul was an Operator of Mechanic Communications (OMC) in the Royal Navy.
He holds his time in the Service close to his heart, so when Blind Veterans UK got in touch with us about one of their events, we were keen to see what we could do to help.
Blind Veterans UK: Helping soldiers and National Service veterans since 1915.
Many soldiers lost their sight in the First World War as a result of gas attacks and shrapnel wounds.
Blind Veterans UK (previously known as St Dunstan’s) was set up in 1915 to help blind soldiers and National Service veterans regain their independence after sight loss.
They continue to support any blind ex-Service men and women lead independent and fulfilling lives.
The support that Blind Veterans UK offers includes rehabilitation and training, arranging clubs, societies and events to help veterans connect with people in a similar situation, and dedicated care at their Brighton and Llandudno care centres.
Memorable gifts were needed for a Jubilee Garden Party.
When we at Everything Branded were contacted by one of the volunteers at Blind Veterans UK asking if we could support with a Jubilee Garden Party, we were keen to find out more about what we could do to help.
We had a great conversation with Jacqui and Gina from Blind Veterans UK, who explained that this Garden Party to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee would be the one if the first times the group of members had met up in person since the start of the Covid pandemic. It was going to be a memorable and emotional occasion for many reasons.
The charity were looking for a company such as Everything Branded who could help provide the veterans with memorable gifts to take home from the day.
We were quick to say yes to their request for help, but we had one slight problem…
Time was not on our side, so we had to be creative.
We only had a matter of days before the event, and many of the ideas we had for memorable gifts such as mugs and tea towels weren’t feasible to produce in such a short timeframe.
We needed to get creative.
Working with the team at Blind Veterans UK, we decided to put together a collection of gifts that included a branded chocolate bar, a travel cup, tea bags, biscuits and a bottle opener for each attendee of the Jubilee event.
To help get the branded gifts together ahead of the tight deadline, we needed some help. Some of our fulfilment team agreed to work extra hours to help with the packing of the gifts, and members of their families even volunteered to help!
Everything made it to Blind Veterans UK in time for the Garden Party, and we also chose to donate an additional £200 to support the events of the day.
An unforgettable, emotional day was had by all.
The team at Blind Veterans UK kindly got in touch to let us know everything went as planned with the Garden Party, and we were delighted to be included in a really moving post from the day, with the members of the Blind Veterans Choir from Essex in full song.
We also received a lovely follow-up letter from Rebecca in the Community Partnerships Team at Blind Veterans UK that confirmed that everybody loved their gifts, and the day was a great success for all involved.
Find out more about Blind Veterans UK.
When Blind Veterans UK was founded in 1915, their mission was to provide support to soldiers blinded during the First World War.
If we fast-forward to today, they continue to offer valuable support to Armed Forces and National Service veterans, regardless of the cause of their sight loss or how long they served.
Since 1915, Blind Veterans UK has helped over 15,000 soldiers and National Service veterans that have lost their sight.
Find out more at https://www.blindveterans.org.uk/
Does your charity need support?
Everything Community manages the social responsibility and community support initiatives of Everything Global.
If you’re a registered charity and want to talk about how we can potentially work together, we’d love to hear from you at hello@everythingcommunity.org
