East Yorkshire blind man to walk Cleveland Way for charity

Andrew Elliker-Reeve and wife Rebecca said they decided to "live life to the full" after he lost his sight

A blind man who plans to walk the Cleveland Way later this year is appealing for people to help guide him along the 110-mile (177 km) route.

Andrew Elliker-Reeve, 64, from Beeford, East Yorkshire, lost his sight following complications during surgery.

He said afterwards he wanted to ensure he "lived life to the full".

Mr Elliker-Reeve said he hoped the walk in September would help him reach his fundraising target of £10,000 for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

He went into hospital in February 2020 for elective surgery to improve the blood flow to his legs.

"Unfortunately there were side-effects, there was a blood pressure problem and as a result I lost my colon, my sight and indeed then went into septic shock and lost my spleen," Mr Elliker-Reeve told BBC Radio York.

He spent three months in hospital and then had a further three months "of absolute hell" trying to convince himself he "wanted to live".

"Once we got through that, my wife Rebecca and I decided we would live life to the full and that's what we do," he said.

Andrew Elliker-Reeve (centre) is looking for people to help guide him on his walk

Mr Elliker-Reeve began writing a blog after losing his sight, which he said had been "fantastic" for his mental health.

In it he talks about his daily life, his sight loss and living with a stoma. He also give public talks and fundraises.

He does not have a guide dog himself due to his wife's support and the fact there are not enough dogs for everyone.

"The thing I realised when I went blind is how terrified I would have been if I had been on my own and I would have been sat on my own with no-one to take me out.

"So I thought 'right let's raise money for guide dogs' and give everyone else a break."

Mr Elliker-Reeve has done a number of fundraising events for Guide Dogs for the Blind

He raised about £6,400 for Guide Dogs for the Blind in 2022, which included him walking the 79-mile (127km) Wolds Way.

"I had 11 guides and all these people - I'd never met them before - and only one of them had any guiding experience before so we all learnt it together."

He said it had been a great experience and four of the people who guided him then had volunteered for the Cleveland Way trip.

It will begin from Helmsley, North Yorkshire, on 11 September and he hopes to complete it in nine days.

"I should have 15 to 18 guides I would think, so two or three different guides every day."

He said his wife would be meeting him every couple of hours on the route due to his other health issues.

"Just in case I've had a problem, if I need a stoma bag changing or something like that," he said.

Mr Elliker-Reeve said he hoped the walk would raise between £7,000 and £8,000 towards his £10,000 target for the year.