St Dunstan's is a large national charity in the United Kingdom, providing support, rehabilitation and respite care to blind ex-service personnel of the British Armed Forces.
St Dunstan's is a registered charity in England[1] and Scotland.[2] It has its head office in London and centres in Ovingdean near Brighton and Sheffield. A new centre is being opened in Llandudno, Wales.
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St Dunstan’s, established in 1915, is the UK's national charity providing lifelong support and rehabilitation to blind ex-Service men and women. Its specialist training and rehabilitation promotes and enables St Dunstaners to regain their independence, meet new challenges and achieve a better quality of life. St Dunstan’s supports anyone who has served in the Forces who has lost their sight due to war, age, accident or illness and the charity’s duty of care extends to all St Dunstaners and their families for life.
St Dunstan's was founded by Arthur Pearson, who had himself lost his sight due to glaucoma. Because of the increasing numbers of British soldiers returning from the front lines during the First World War suffering from blindness, Pearson established a hostel for these soldiers. His intention was that, with training and assistance, the former soldiers could go on to lead productive lives and would not have to depend on charity. On his death in 1922 the Chairmanship fell to Ian Fraser, who was blinded in the war, and held the post for 52 years. The most notable recent resident was World War I veteran Henry Allingham, born 1896, who was briefly the oldest man in the world until his death in 2009.
During the Second World War, from 1940 to 1946, St Dunstan's was based in the town of Church Stretton, Shropshire.[3]
St Dunstan's provides assistance to both former service personnel and to their families.
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