Thank you for taking the time to visit Alan Saunder's Zip Wire Challenge page. 

Alan Saunders is one of the many inspirational veterans supported by Blind Veterans UK, an organisation that offers support, rehabilitation and training to ex-service personnel who are facing a life beyond sight loss.

On the 17th September, three days after his 92nd birthday, Alan will be taking on Zip World Velocity, the longest, fastest zip line in the world. Over a mile in length, located in Penrhyn Quarry, Bethesda, Velocity sees riders fly solo through the skies at over 100mph, 500ft high, experiencing the nearest thrill to flying.

When Alan approached staff at Blind Veterans UK's Llandudno Centre to help him organise this challenge, no-one in the team was surprised.  Alan is always encouraging others to support the charity - sending letters to family and friends encouraging them to donate or to take part in the Weekly Lottery, and often comments on how he would have loved to get involved in some of our challenge events in his younger days.

Alan certainly has the guts and determination to undertake this challenge.  Alan left school at 17 and joined the Royal Marines in January 1940.  He trained at the Stonehouse Barracks in Plymouth and was posted to St Margaret's Village with the Royal Marines Siege Regiment in Kent.  It was here that he volunteered to join the Royal Marines Commandos.

Alan is one of the few to survive the Dieppe Raid in 1942, which saw Alan's unit attack the port where they were met with a strong defence and heavy gunfire from the German forces, resulting in catastrophic loss of life for the British and Canadian forces.

Alan says: “We did not know what we were in for until the same day of the assault. We knew that a large exercise was going to take place and that we were going to invade a German occupied port but we did not know exactly where and people were speculating about different places.  I think I speak for the majority when I say that you are not thinking ‘I am going to get killed’ but instead you think ‘I am invincible, I am at the peak of military efficiency, in good health’, and you are run on a lot of adrenalin. It’s only afterwards when the adrenalin has worn off that you think ‘how the hell did I survive that’ and the horrors of what had actually happened pours in".

Alan and his comrades were faced with canon fire, mortars and machines guns – “everything but the kitchen sink” in Alan’s words – in their attempt to seize the port.

"It was such a confused situation and we could not achieve anything on the beach. Looking around I saw the beach full of burning tanks, people trying to take shelter wherever they could."

 After several changes of tactics the unit was forced to try and swim for home.  It was only after hours of swimming that Alan was picked up by a patrolling vessel.  

Alan was involved in many other campaigns and later sustained multiple gunshot wounds leading to his medical discharge on 20th August 1945.

“I have no bitterness at all about what happened. These sorts of things are all part of life’s grand scenarios. You just got on and prepared for the next job. At the end of the day I survived but of course thousands did not.”

Alan joined Blind Veterans UK after he lost his sight as a result of age related macular degeneration and cataracts.  Blind Veterans UK provides exceptional support, rehabilitation, recreation and welfare to blind veterans, regardless of when they served or how they lost their sight.  The charity is vital to veterans like Alan who wish to remain independent within their own homes and lead fulfilling lives.

"Blind Veterans UK has given me the training, confidence and equipment I need to ensure I can continue to be myself and do the things I want to do as well as providing an environment in which I can spend time with other veterans at its centres.  The Llandudno Centre has become a second home"

It is for this reason that Alan has asked me to set up this page on his behalf in order for you to help him help Blind Veterans UK help other Veterans like him build a life beyond sight loss, either by making a donation yourself or by sharing this page with others who may wish to. 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Thank you again from both Alan Saunders and Blind Veterans UK.

To donate by text, please send text the code SAUN92 and the amount you want to donate to 70070 (e.g. "SAUN92 £3").