Blind veteran to lay wreath at Cenotaph supported by guide dog

A blind veteran will become the first to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph alongside her guide dog this weekend, according to a charity.

Kelly Ganfield, 45, from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, will march in London on Remembrance Sunday with her guide dog Archie, an eight-year-old golden Labrador cross retriever.

She joined the Army in 1998 and served with the Adjutant Generals Corp but suffered a stroke at the age of 23 – resulting in the loss of her sight and career.

In 2006, she began receiving support from Blind Veterans UK and will now lead a contingent of 40 other blind veterans supported by the charity on Sunday.

Ms Ganfield will lay a wreath on behalf of Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-service personnel.

Adrian Bell, chief executive of the charity, said: “Kelly is the first blind veteran to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph alongside a guide dog.

“Her and Archie should be rightly proud that they’re the first and Kelly is a fantastic ambassador for both Blind Veterans UK and Guide Dogs.”

Around 10,000 veterans and participants take part in the Cenotaph parade each year.

The event takes place on Remembrance Sunday, following the National Act of Remembrance.

Ms Ganfield described her pride at leading blind veterans to the Cenotaph.

She said: “Blind Veterans UK saved my life; I owe them a great deal. They took me in after I lost my sight and have taken care of me ever since.

“I’ve met so many inspirational people, both my fellow blind veterans and staff who have shaped my life. I am so proud to be a blind veteran and I wouldn’t be who I am today if I wasn’t.”

She continued: “It’s an absolute honour to march with Blind Veterans UK on behalf of those no longer here.

“I’ve lost many friends over the years who were part of my Blind Veterans UK family or who served alongside me in the military, so it means a great deal to remember them.

“Being part of the Blind Veterans UK contingent feels like still being a part of the British Army.

“Leading the contingent and laying the wreath on behalf of Blind Veterans UK is a huge privilege, and to have my guide dog Archie beside me, enabling me to represent the fantastic work of not only Blind Veterans UK but also Guide Dogs, is really special.”

Archie was matched with Ms Ganfield in June 2019, shortly after he turned two.

Nik Gardner, Guide Dog partnership operations manager, said the charity is “incredibly proud” of the pair taking part in the parade.

“Seeing them lay a wreath together at the Cenotaph is a moving reminder of the powerful bond between our guide dogs and the people they support,” he said.

“When Guide Dogs was founded over 90 years ago, the very first blind people to benefit were veterans who had lost their sight in the First World War, so there is a lovely connection between Kelly and Archie and our first guide dogs.”