AN EX-SOLDIER, who is living in Cwmbran, has completed a 100km run to raise money for the military charity that helped him when he began losing his sight.

Charlie Parkinson, 38, and close friend, Ben Black, 38, left London for Brighton and completed the distance in 26 hours.

For their efforts The pair have raised £357.50 for Blind Veterans UK – a military charity, which supports visually impaired Armed Forces and National Service veterans.

He said: “It was very challenging as you’re on your feet for so long and going over uneven paths –- we were glad to reach the finish.”

To celebrate our 100 years of Service of the charity, her Majesty the Queen invited representatives to Buckingham Palace for a Royal Garden Party, and Mr Parkinson was among those invited to the event last Thursday was Mr Parkinson.

He said that the event was “brilliant” adding that Sophie, Countess of Wessex, made the effort to greet everyone.

Mr Parkinson, who suffers from glaucoma, served as a Kingsman (the equivalent of a Private) in the First Battalion of the King’s Regiment in Liverpool between 1995-2003. His time in the service took him as far afield as Jordan and Cyprus.

He has suffered from glaucoma since 2010 and over the course of three years, his sight deteriorated to the point that he now has just 10 per cent vision in his right eye with a prosthetic in his left eye.

Mr Parkinson, who comes from the Wirral, lived in Cwmbran between the ages of seven and 14, and moved back to the area in 2010.

He is taking part in a series of challenges and completed the Brighton Half Marathon in February.

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/charliechallenges