Sutton Coldfield veteran becomes Blind Veterans UK's first female standard bearer

A Sutton Coldfield Army veteran who lost most of her sight to a rare eye condition has made history as the first woman ever to carry the standard for Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-service men and women.

Simy Martin, 59, carried the charity's standard at the Remembrance Sunday commemorations in Manchester on 8 November. It was her first official duty in the ceremonial role, and a milestone for a charity that has supported blind veterans for more than a century.

From Army clerk to police firearms officer to nurse

Simy joined the Territorial Army band of the 5th Royal Regiment of Fusiliers at 17, before serving six years in the regular Army as a clerk in the Women's Royal Army Corps. After leaving the military she worked as a firearms officer with the police and then moved into nursing.

Her life changed in 2007, when she woke up on holiday in India with blurred and double vision. After months of tests she was diagnosed with a rare degenerative eye condition.

"I was only 40 at the time and was scared for my future," she told BBC Birmingham. "My vision gradually got worse and I lost my driving licence which took away my independence. Eventually, while I was still in my 40s, I had to give up nursing which was the career I loved."

Today she has very limited sight and can make out only large objects.

Practising in the garden

Carrying a standard is no small task for anyone. Simy trained for months for the role, and said she had been rehearsing at home.

"The Standard itself is 9ft long and extremely heavy," she said. "I've been practising in my garden as I don't want to make any errors and let people down."

She said she felt "very proud" to represent the charity, and that Remembrance carries a deeply personal meaning for her.

"I think about relatives who were in the wars, and my father, who is no longer with us," she said. "I'd like to think he'll be watching down from the clouds and feeling proud of me."

Sailing, archery and blind tennis

Simy was introduced to Blind Veterans UK only last year. She says the charity has "transformed" her life through rehabilitation, specialist equipment and emotional support.

With its help she has learned new skills to cope with sight loss, and gone back to activities she feared she had lost for good, including sailing and archery. She has also taken up blind tennis.

"I'm determined to find ways to continue doing the things I love," she said.

Help for Birmingham's blind veterans

Blind Veterans UK was founded in 1915 to help soldiers blinded in the First World War, and today supports anyone who has served in the armed forces, including National Service, and is now living with significant sight loss, whatever the cause. Its support is free, and covers training, equipment, social activities and breaks at its centres.

Many veterans do not realise they qualify, particularly those whose sight has failed in later life, long after they left the forces. Families in Sutton Coldfield and across Birmingham who think a relative might be eligible can contact the charity through its website.

For Simy, the weekend was proof of how far she has come since that morning in 2007. As the first woman to carry the charity's standard, she has also opened the way for others to follow.