Tag: charity

Sister Act: Sophie and Emma Double The Love

Sisters Sophie and Emma Thompson are backing a new campaign, Double The Love, which will help Mary’s Meals to feed even more hungry children living in some of the world’s poorest countries. 

Donations made to the charity this winter will be doubled by a group of generous supporters – with up to £1.6 million available to provide nutritious meals at school, attracting children into the classroom and giving them the energy to learn. 

Long-time Mary’s Meals supporter, actor Sophie Thompson, celebrated the launch of the campaign with her sister and fellow actor, Emma Thompson. 

Sophie says: “Emma and I were marvelling about how Mary’s Meals provides food at school for children living in the most desperate circumstances, encouraging them to gain an education that will, in the future, help them out of poverty.  

“We are delighted to announce that donations made to this awesome charity this winter will be doubled – meaning even more little ones will receive a daily serving of Mary’s Meals.” 

Mary’s Meals was founded in a shed in Argyll in 2002 and has grown from feeding 200 children in Malawi to more than two million children every school day in 19 countries around the world. 

Emma adds: “Our mother is Scottish, and Argyll is a very special place for our family. I am overjoyed that a charity founded there is changing the lives of children in some of the world’s poorest countries. It truly is an incredible achievement. 

“Double The Love presents a wonderful opportunity for us all to get behind Mary’s Meals and show children living in the world’s poorest countries that we care.” 

Daniel Adams, executive director of Mary’s Meals, says: “I am so grateful to Sophie and Emma for backing our Double The Love campaign. What a brilliant sister act they are! 

“I hope people will donate to Mary’s Meals this winter so that we can access all of the £1.6 million of match funding that is available to us. These funds really will change the lives of children facing the most difficult circumstances, including natural disasters, conflict, and the ongoing Covid pandemic.” 

The Double The Love campaign runs until 31 January 2022.

Please visit marysmeals.org.uk/doublethelove to find out more.  

Sibongile and Sarah – sisters living in Zambia 

Sibongile, 13, and Sarah,10, live in a farming village in Zambia, almost 8,000 miles away from Sophie and Emma’s homes in London. 

These sisters look very alike – but Sibongile is outgoing and laughs a lot, and her younger sister is very quietly spoken.  

They face many struggles, such as a two-hour walk to school. Sibongile only has black pumps that are too big for her and Sarah wears rubber sandals. In November the area usually floods, making the journey even more difficult.  

But both walk to school knowing that they can soon fill their stomachs with a nutritious serving of Mary’s Meals, which will help them to concentrate on their lessons.  

Sibongile says: “I eat my porridge at 11am. If there’s no leftover food from the night before that will be the first time I eat.”  

New stress reduction initiative has paw-sitive impact on staff!

AN EDINBURGH-based financial services recruitment firm has enlisted some four-legged volunteers to help reduce stress and increase activity amongst its staff while raising money for charity.

The 22 strong team at Core-Asset Consulting will be walking 100km for MacMillan Cancer Support throughout the month of November with the help of the team’s various office dogs.

Kicking off during International Stress Awareness Week at the beginning of November, the fundraising initiative will run throughout the month, encouraging staff to take short walking breaks from their desk with one of the eight canines who regularly frequent the office.  

Coinciding with the recent introduction of a Friday morning canine running club, the walking challenge is hoped to boost morale, decrease stress and encourage healthy habits amongst staff.


Rachael O’Neill, Associate Director of Investment Operations and owner of one of the dogs taking part, Luca, said: “Stress can have a massive impact on mental wellbeing and one of the best ways to combat it is through exercise.

“We already have a regular running club on a Friday morning – wanted to encourage everyone to move more and take regular breaks from their desks throughout the week.

“Staff can take part as little or as often as they like and can walk for as long as they like too. Each distance will be added to an overall tally so it will be a real team effort.

“Our office is dog friendly and a lot of staff take advantage of this. We have Loki, Atlas, Pluto, Shadow, Ruby, Maggie and Cookie as well as my dog Luca. While they’re not all in at once, on any given day you’ll find at least one or more wandering about the office!

“Luca is in every day and Pluto is in most regularly. They both take part in our Friday running club and are loving the attention and the extra walks.

“Luca is very much a lockdown pup so the extra socialising has been great for her. It’s such a weight off not having the pressure of leaving her at home or finding a dog sitter too.”

In addition to the walking challenge, Rachael has been providing staff with stress balls, dedicated stress awareness podcasts and Ted Talks to help her colleagues manage their stress effectively.  

Core-Asset Consulting is Scotland’s pre-eminent recruitment and headhunting agency dedicated to financial and professional services.

Formed in 2005, it was born out of Betsy’s desire to take the best of her experience of large corporate recruiters, applying the focus on infrastructure and training to a more sector-specialised business.

Based in Edinburgh, the £14m firm employs 22 people and works across the entire financial services sector, from the smallest boutiques to the biggest global players.

Initially the firm carved its reputation in Scotland’s globally-renowned asset management sector. However, the success of its model allowed it to expand across the wider financial services market. It now boasts dedicated accounting, investment operations and finance teams and also works in Scotland’s thriving legal sector.

 To find out more about Core Asset visit: https://core-asset.co.uk/

Scottish charity redevelops paediatric Operating Rooms in Zambia

Thousands of children in Zambia now have better access to safe surgery with the opening of six new paediatric Operating Rooms courtesy of global health charity Kids Operating Room (KidsOR).

KidsOR, a Scottish global charity with bases in Edinburgh, Dundee and Nairobi, works to ensure that all children around the world have access to safe surgery. The charity also funds training of paediatric surgeons and anaesthesia providers, and estimates that more than 43,000 children have accessed life-changing or life-saving care via one of the 35 Operating Rooms they have installed since 2018.

The six new Operating Rooms in Zambia are located at University Teaching Hospital (UTH), in Lusaka, and in Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital (ADCH), in Ndola, with each hospital hosting three separate Operating Rooms.

The Scottish Government provided £45,000 of funding to assist with the refurbishment, re-equipping and retraining of staff at the paediatric surgical facilities at UTH.

David Cunningham, CEO of KidsOR, said: “I am proud that KidsOR has installed and equipped six Operating Rooms across the two hospitals. This is our largest project in a single country at the one time, and will ensure that surgeons have the right equipment to save thousands of children’s lives for years to come.

“With around 45 per cent of Zambia’s population being children, this is a country that will particularly benefit from these facilities.”

KidsOR collated data on surgical cases in the past 24 months at UTH so that it could track the difference made once the Operating Room was installed.

The charity identified that in the past two years, almost one in five of the operations that went ahead did so without the necessary surgical equipment and 40 per cent went ahead missing the necessary anaesthetic equipment.

These issues will be rectified as soon as surgeons start using the newly installed Operating Rooms to treat children.

Mr Cunningham added: “This latest project forms an important part of the KidsOR ‘Africa to 2030’ plan which will see us create 120 centres of excellence across Sub-Sahara Africa, each with world-class, state-of-the-art dedicated Operating Rooms for children.

“We aim to ensure that every child can access safe surgery when they need it.”

Dr Bruce Bvulani, Consultant Paediatric Surgeon at University Teaching Hospital, said: “The renovations and re-equipping of the theatre suite is not only timely but also momentous.

“These new Operating Rooms will put a smile not only on the faces of the children but the surgeons as they use their new wares in a refurbished centre. On behalf of the children of Zambia, we are truly grateful to KidsOR, and we promise to make full use of the equipment for the betterment of the children.”

Senior Medical Superintendent and Consultant Paediatrician at Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital, Dr Mwansa J Kaunda, also extended his gratitude. He added: “There will be an increased capacity and ability to care for more paediatric patients considering the hospital serves the northern part of the country. This means expanded services and more treatment options at the hospital, hence improved quality of health for children.

“What’s more, the new equipment and set up of theatre will improve efficiency in procedures, reduce the risk of post-operative wound infections. I am so excited as I never imagined that our Operating Room could look so nice. The last time it got a touch up was in 1978 and we have recently had to carry out operations using a phone torch light rather than proper operating lamp.”

International Development Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “The Scottish Government’s investment in this project will help benefit thousands of children who require life-changing and life-saving care.

“As well as contributing to the new paediatric Operating Rooms, our support will also enhance the skills and knowledge of the surgical teams that carry out these vital procedures. We are proud to work with KidsOR on a project that will change the lives of children and their families and strengthen the capacity and resilience of the health care system in Zambia.”

Africa has the greatest unmet surgical need in the world. Half of Africa’s population (1.3 billion) are children. It is also estimated that 85 per cent of children in Africa will require some kind of surgical care by the age of 15. 

Two of the six Operating Rooms in Zambia have been achieved courtesy of KidsOR’s partnership with cleft-focused organisation Smile Train.

Hearts back charity call to UK Goverment for £50 million

Heart of Midlothian FC is showing its support for 21/22 front of shirt partner, MND Scotland, by joining a call to the UK Government to invest £50 million into motor neurone disease (MND) research.

The Club proudly launched its new home kit for the 2021/22 season in July, with charity MND Scotland taking pride of place on the front of the jersey, thanks to an innovative two-year sponsorship deal with Dell Technologies.

Over the past year, the Club and its supporters have undertaken several fundraising activities as a tribute to former captain, Marius Zaliukas, who tragically lost his fight to MND in 2020.

Now, the Heart of Midlothian players are standing with MND Scotland, to urge the UK Government to invest£50 million over five years into targeted MND research.

The United to End MND campaign is being led by a coalition which includes MND Scotland, the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, the MND Association, people living with MND, and neurologists from across the UK.

Currently the UK Government’s funding for targeted MND research stands at less than £5 million a year, which the coalition says is not enough. £50 million from the UK Government over five years would fund a virtual institute for MND Research, providing the infrastructure needed for accelerating treatments for MND.

Just last month the coalition delivered a personal letter from people living with MND to 10 Downing Street, which stated ‘MND is a death sentence’ but that ‘research has now reached a point where a cure or life-saving treatments can be found’.

It continued ‘The current piecemeal and protracted approach of funding individual projects will not deliver the life-saving treatments we need…we urgently appeal for action and investment now’.

Andrew McKinlay Heart of Midlothian Chief Executive, said: “We know all too well at Heart of Midlothian the devastating impact MND has, having lost one of our own, Marius Zaliukas.

“If there was a cure, or effective treatments, Marius could still be with us. That’s why we are here today to support this call to the UK Government, for more targeted investment into MND research. 

“The work MND Scotland does to support families living with this frightening disease is hugely important, as is their drive to find a cure for future generations. We are united with them to help end MND.”

Rachel Maitland, MND Scotland’s Chief Executive, said : “The support United to End MND has received from people in the community, politicians, clinicians, researchers and partners has been incredible to date, and we thank Heart of Midlothian for joining with us too.

“Too many lives like Marius’ have already been lost to MND, and people living with the disease today do not have time to wait for a cure. MND isn’t incurable, it’s just under-funded. Together, we will beat MND, but we cannot do it without the UK Government’s support.”

A bid for investment has been submitted to the UK Government’s Spending Review, and the call has already been debated in the UK Parliament after a petition to garner public support gathered more than 100,000 signatures in just three weeks.

Members of the coalition have also met with key politicians to explain the desperate need for the cash, to shore up the investment made by charities and industry.

To find out more about the campaign visit www.mndscotland.org.uk/united or tweet your support @MNDScotland @MNDAssoc and @MNDoddie5 using #United2EndMND.

Charity’s child surgery work creates £1bn of economic benefit

A Scottish-based charity that provides dedicated, specialist facilities and equipment for children’s surgery in low-income countries is today celebrating a significant landmark.

Since its inception in 2018, the work of Kids Operating Room (KidsOR) has given more than 43,000 children access to life-changing or life-saving surgery. Today, KidsOR has announced that the economic benefit of these operations has broken the £1 BILLION mark!

Through independent research, the charity has calculated that a child undergoing an operation in one of its Operating Rooms in Africa or Latin America is projected to go on to contribute an average of £26,000 in additional GDP in the years to come.

David Cunningham, CEO of KidsOR, said: “When a child has a lifesaving operation, or an operation that cures a simple condition like incontinence, that allows the child to stay in school and grow up to contribute to their nation’s economy, we can calculate what the economic benefit to that country was of the child surviving or being able to go to school.

“A core part of our mission is to produce the evidence desperately needed to show that providing surgical care is one of the most impactful investments you can make in global health.

“At KidsOR, we rely on academic partners to conduct independent research to evaluate the impact of our work. For every operation performed in one of our partner hospitals, a local data collector records key data about the operation and its outcomes, as well as its impact on the child and their family.

David Cunningham added: “With all of that in mind, we are delighted to have reached the incredible landmark of £1 billion in economic benefit generated for our partner nations. But our work will not stop here, and we are already working to create many more Operating Rooms and to train many more local surgeons in countries where they are needed the most.”

KidsOR is a Scottish global health charity with bases in Edinburgh, Dundee and Nairobi. It works directly with local surgeons and their teams across Africa and South America to transform hospital spaces into dedicated Operating Rooms for children’s surgery, creating child-friendly surroundings and providing surgeons with the specialist equipment and training they need to care for their nation’s children.

Since 2018, the charity has created the capacity for more than 41,000 operations to be carried out.

A single operation taking place in a KidsOR Operating Room is estimated to prevent an average of 17.1 years of life lost due to disability or premature death. This is the key metric used by the World Health Organisation to assess the global burden of disease.

FT poll shows 90% learnt ‘little or nothing’ about finance at school

‘two in three of the global population, including one in three in the UK, are financially illiterate‘

The Financial Times has launched a new charity endorsed by the former prime minister Gordon Brown, focused on the promotion of financial literacy and inclusion around the world.

The FT Financial Literacy and Inclusion Campaign (FT FLIC) unveiled its strategic plan to boost the financial literacy of young people, women and disadvantaged communities at an event hosted by Roula Khalaf, editor of the Financial Times.

The plan will develop educational programmes to tackle financial literacy, initially in the UK and then around the world. It will seek to warn people about potential financial traps as well as empowering them to realise their aspirations. It will also campaign for policy change and clearer product communication by financial companies. 

“Improving financial literacy for people that need it most, will empower and build financial resilience amongst communities that have faced growing inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic and austerity,” said Aimée Allam, executive director of FT FLIC.

“We have now outlined our ambitious goals to improve financial literacy, and our success will be determined by our ability to achieve these goals in an effective and measurable way.”

A survey, commissioned for the Financial Times by Ipsos Mori, reveals shortcomings in financial understanding among four constituencies that have clear gaps relative to the national average: deprived areas, the young, women and ethnic minorities.

According to the research, 90% of the 3,194 people polled across England learnt “nothing at all” or “not very much” about finance at school. The research also found that barely half of 3,000 respondents were able to correctly compare the costs of borrowing via credit cards or bank overdrafts, regardless of their wealth, ethnicity or gender.

Not only will FT FLIC provide financial educational content for individuals and teachers, it also intends to lobby for education policy to change, in particular pushing for financial literacy to be integrated into school curriculums. FT FLIC will also focus on helping close the financial literacy gap for women and communities marginalised from accessing mainstream finance.

FT FLIC will partner existing charities and other organisations in financial education, and become a hub for the aggregation of the best materials, as well as developing its own content.

Patrick Jenkins, the FT’s deputy editor who chairs FT FLIC, said: “According to the World Bank, two in three of the global population, including one in three in the UK, are financially illiterate.

“If that were true of language literacy it would rightly be regarded as a scandal. Happily getting on for nine in 10 people around the world are now able to read and write. But why is it not regarded as a scandal that financial literacy levels are so low?”

Speaking at the launch of FT FLIC Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, said: “In surgeries, I came face-to-face with constituents who could not manage their finances or pay their bills, who racked up debts and fell into the hands of money lenders.

“I saw not only the despair that this brings and the impact it has on physical and mental health but the need for far greater financial literacy. Financial worries have been exacerbated by the pandemic and will certainly worsen when six million families in the UK find their universal credit is cut by £20 a week.

“I welcome this initiative to create an umbrella foundation that will not only work with current providers at the grass roots level, but it will also seek changes to policy.”

The launch of FT FLIC follows 15 years of successful FT seasonal appeals that raised more than £19.5m on behalf of charities and supported many worthy causes.

It’s the Capital’s charity derby!

Hibernian Community Foundation and Big Hearts Community Trust are set to meet for a fundraising football game on Sunday 10th October, to mark World Mental Health Day.

It’s the first time that both charitable arms of the Edinburgh football clubs, Hibernian FC and Heart of Midlothian FC, will come together on the same pitch to raise awareness around wellbeing and mental health. The game is kindly supported by charity partner Utilita Energy. 

Kick-off is 4pm at Ainslie Park. Tickets are now on sale. All proceeds will go to fund our community projects across Edinburgh.

A single-entry ticket is priced at £5 or £2 for concessions and discounted family ticket at £10.

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS

Tickets are available via Fanbase > Utilia Energy > Store > Events > Utilita Charity Challenge Cup > Buy Tickets.

Every year, the 10th of October is a reminder that 1 in 3 people will experience mental health issues at some point in their life. We are delighted to be joining efforts with the Hibernian FC charity on this special occasion, using the reach of football to share information on support services available across the city.

Keep your eyes peeled for further event details, including opportunities for supporters to get involved and support their team on the day!

Join Team Stroke for Kiltwalk

Sunday 26 September in Glasgow 

The Stroke Association is calling on you to take part in a walking challenge to support the thousands of stroke survivors living with the devastating effects of stroke. The Kiltwalk takes place on Sunday 26 September from Glasgow Green at 11am. 

Amanda Potter from Greenock said: “I decided to take part in Kiltwalk this year as it is something I have not yet taken part in when fundraising for a charity. I have previously taken part in the Stroke Association’s Resolution Run in 2019 after my mum had a stroke in August 2018 at only 52 years old.

“Without the money raised through fundraising, there would have been no treatment for my mum to continue to live her life again.

“I’m super excited to be taking part in Kiltwalk this year with some of my work colleagues and help raise awareness and money for a great cause!”

The walk is open to anyone from Scotland. Participants can take part by undertaking The  Mighty Stride of 16.5 miles or the Wee Wander of 3.5 miles.  

Andrea Watt, Fundraiser for the North of Scotland said: “Be a Kiltwalk hero in 2021 and join Team Stroke! All Kiltwalk fundraising for the Stroke Association gets a massive 50% boost from The Hunter Foundation.

So why not take on the challenge as a family or maybe a team effort with your work colleagues? Whatever you want to do! We hope to see you there!

Sign up at www.thekiltwalk.co.uk and select Stroke Association as your chosen charity.

Music to Your Ears: celebration as Bross Bagels teams up with Jackpot Peanut Butter

Two pioneering food brands have joined forces to shine a light on grassroots music venues, while celebrating a classic food combination of bagels and peanut butter.

This weekend, (Saturday 4th – Sunday 5th September), Bross Bagels will reveal the first in a range of limited-edition bagels, which will hero purpose-led brand Jackpot’s unique peanut butter, which ranges from their original to the more creative twists including raspberry, wasabi and cookies ‘n’ cream.

Bross Bagels will launch a new limited-edition bagel every weekend throughout September, with profits from the bagels going towards national charity, Music Venue Trust, which supports and endorses local UK music culture.  The partnership will help raise funds and support for grassroots music venues at a time of need for music, culture, artists, their teams and crew. 

With the aim of celebrating grassroots music venues across the country, each limited-edition peanut butter bagel will be inspired by music and performance and named after a famous song or lyrics. 

The bagels will be available at the Portobello, Leith and Bruntsfield Bross Bagels shops across Edinburgh, every weekend throughout September.

The partnership aims to celebrate a classic food combination, while shining a light on grassroots music culture, a sector that has like many, been significantly impacted by the pandemic.  The collaboration is a unique celebration of culture, music and independent venues, subjects close to the hearts of both brands.

Jackpot Peanut Butters will also be available to buy in all Bross Bagels shops throughout September, with a donation from the sale of each of the limited-edition bagels and Jackpot Peanut Butter pots going toward Music Venue Trust. 

Launched in 2015, Jackpot Peanut Butter is an all-natural, traditional American peanut butter made in the UK – not dissimilar to Bross Bagels, who present authentic Montreal style bagels, made in Edinburgh.

The limited-edition bagels will kick off tomorrow (Saturday 4th September) with the (I can’t get no) Satay-Faction – a sesame seed Bross bagel filled with hot smoked salmon, Jackpot Peanut Butter, Bross’ infamous frickles, shrettuce, fresh chilli, coriander, and Mama Bross’ rock sauce.

Since the brand launched in 2017, Bross Bagels has been committed to working with other independent brands who are equally dedicated to their craft, and traditional production methods, while giving them a modern twist.

Commenting on the latest collaboration, Bross Bagels founder Larah Bross said; “We’re always looking for ways to work with other brands who have a similar commitment to their craft that we do.  When we came across Jackpot Peanut Butter, we felt there was a real synergy in our purpose, passions and love of good food and music that bring people together.

“Bross Bagels was founded on the joy of sharing foods that conjure up memories.  For me growing up, there was nothing that couldn’t be fixed with a bagel – especially a peanut butter and jelly bagel!  We all have our comfort foods – and they’re comforting because food connects us to one another. 

“Music conjures up the same sense of memory, belonging and connection, which is why we’re proud to be supporting both Jackpot and the Music Venue Trust.  And we had a hole lot of fun creating the new bagel recipes and names!”

Rupert Leigh, Creator and MD of Jackpot Peanut Butter said; “Bagels and Peanut Butter is a winning combination, as are music and food.  Never has there been a more important time to support grassroots music venues, and we’re thrilled to be able to work in collaboration with Larah and the Bross Bagels team to continue to support and nurture the culture of music.

“The sale of the bagels and Jackpot peanut butter pots will be donated to the Music Venue Trust, helping to support that next generation of music makers and fans – helping them grow and continue to entertain, and will highlight the need to look after and invest in our music culture.” 

For more information visit www.brossbagels.com

Children across the UK are missing eye tests, charity warns

Those in low-income countries most at risk of sight loss

New findings released today reveal the impact of the pandemic on children’s eyesight in Scotland and Britain.

Seven in 10 adults in Britain are not aware that children should have an eye test at 4-5 years of age, as recommended by the NHS. In Scotland, two in three (66 per cent) of adults are unaware of this.

With children going back to school and spending more time on digital devices than ever before, the international eye care charity, Orbis is urging parents to book eye tests for their children as soon as possible.

The YouGov poll of 2,025 adults across Britain, 373 of them parents with children under 18 years of age, was commissioned by Orbis UK – the international eye health charity. Over half (54%) of parents in Britain admit they have not attempted to book an appointment for their children since the pandemic, while almost a quarter of parents (24%) are not sure if their child’s eyesight has got worse in this time.

The poll marks the two-year anniversary of its See My Future UK Aid Match appeal which works to fight avoidable blindness amongst children in Nepal.

While the findings reveal a need for action on eye health in Great Britain, the situation is especially stark for those living in parts of the world where there is little access to eye healthcare.

Globally 1.1 billion people experience vision loss and 90% of it is avoidable. Most of these people live in low-to-middle income countries such as Nepal, where avoidable vision loss means children are dropping out of school – either because their own eye health is poor, or to care for a blind or visually impaired family member.

The Orbis REACH (Refractive Error Among Children) initiative, partially funded by the UK government through UK Aid Match, works in the remote areas of Parsa and Siraha in Southeast Nepal.

Eye health workers screen and treat children with vision loss, enabling them to continue to attend school and look forward to a brighter future.

Children like 12-year-old Sneha* who struggled to read the blackboard and resorted to copying her friends’ notes so she could keep up in class. Orbis supported her with a screening including an eye test and glasses. She can now see properly and hopes to become a bank manager when she is older.

Larry Benjamin, Orbis medical volunteer and retired Consultant Ophthalmologist says: “The pandemic has been a challenge for all of us and it’s understandable parents have avoided health visits. But with so many children in Britain not seeing an optician, it is important that parents try to book eye tests for their children where possible.

“And for children living in parts of the world with little or no access to eye care, the challenges brought about by the pandemic are particularly worrying. Globally, children and adults have missed routine eye exams, and people are avoiding visits to eye health centers as they fear contracting the virus. It’s vital that Orbis reaches as many people as possible to ensure more children and families can hope for a better future.”

Rebecca Cronin, Chief Executive of Orbis UK, says: “Like NHS and high street eye-care teams, our eye health partners around the world have risen to the challenges brought about by the pandemic, delivering eye care in remote parts of the world and adhering to local guidelines to ensure patient safety.”

“But millions of people, especially children, are not getting the timely treatment they need. In many areas of the world where Orbis works, undiagnosed sight loss can have devastating consequences, plunging families into poverty.

“Even before the pandemic, the need for specialist eye doctors was already outpacing the numbers of trained experts in ophthalmic care. With 50% of people in Britain expressing concern about this, it’s clear the work of Orbis is more vital than ever and your support critical to the fight against avoidable blindness”.

The See My Future Appeal in 2019 raised almost £1.4 million pounds for the REACH project, this included over £650,000 of match funding from the UK Government. The funds have enabled over 71,639 children to have eye screenings, reached 213 schools and delivered treatments and training for eye health workers so they can identify vision issues.

With schools closed for much of 2020 the project adapted, working with local female community health volunteers to deliver house to house screenings. As a result, 1,000 more children, who do not normally attend school and would otherwise not be screened, had their eyes tested for the first time.

Orbis is now calling on its supporters to help raise money so it can help more people who are at risk of avoidable blindness. 

To find out more about Orbis and how to donate, visit www.orbis.org