St Dunstan’s Lodge, Regent’s Park: The Blinded Soldiers' and Sailors' Care Committee

Available for over a year

St Dunstan's Lodge in Regent's Park, was loaned to The Blinded Soldiers' and Sailors' Care Committee by US businessman Otto Khan. Blind soldiers and sailors would be taught new skills such as typing (on braille typewriters), poultry farming and carpentry. The aim was to enable the veterans to live independent lives, despite losing their sight. By the end of 1918, 600 had been trained with another 700 still receiving training. The charity was initially founded by the founder of the Daily Express newspaper, Sir Arthur Pearson in 1915. He had lost his own sight as a result of glaucoma and wanted to support blind servicemen coming back to Britain from the Fronts. For many years the charity was known, simply, as St Dunstan's because of its location at the park’s Lodge. It is now known as Blind Veterans UK. Location: St Dunstan’s Lodge, Regent’s Park, London NW1 Image: Two French soldiers outside the Lodge gates, courtesy of Blind Veterans UK