Celebrities have their eye on World Sight Day and a charity appeal for blind children

In anticipation of World Sight Day, the Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC) is thrilled to announce the support of acclaimed actress Dame Judi Dench and a constellation of celebrities supporting a fundraising initiative which aims to raise £100,000 to support vision impaired children and crucially, to emphasise the importance of eye health for everyone, particularly in the workplace.

The staggering statistic that every six minutes, another individual in the UK is told that they are losing their sight – the significance of this campaign becomes glaringly evident. There are currently two million people living with sight loss in the UK, with one in five individuals likely to experience significant sight loss at some point in their lives.

Alarmingly, one million people are living with preventable sight loss which has a significant impact on the UK economy. This is primarily driven by a lack of awareness of causes and treatments.

World Sight Day, observed on Thursday, 12th October, serves as a poignant reminder of the challenges faced by individuals with vision impairments and the paramount importance of supporting organisations like RSBC who support children, young people and their families living with the lifetime challenges of life without sight.

One of the world’s most beloved and celebrated actors, Dame Judi Dench, expressed her wholehearted support for RSBC ahead of World Sight Day, stating, “I’m pleased to be supporting the Royal Society for Blind Children. Our eye health is crucial and something we must invest in.”

Also joining forces with RSBC campaigning is 8-time Emmy and 5-time BAFTA award-winning filmmaker and photographer Doug Allan, who has worked alongside Sir David Attenborough for decades. Accompanying him are TV presenter Jean Johansson from “A Place in the Sun,” esteemed author Daisy Buchanan, the versatile actor Nicola Stephenson, and the comedian, impressionist and RSBC Ambassador, Jon Culshaw, all fervently supporting RSBC’s #loveyoureyes campaign and fundraising efforts as part of World Sight Day.

Vision impairment has a profound impact on individuals, families, and communities, and shockingly, every day, four more children are diagnosed with sight loss. RSBC firmly believes that all children should have the opportunity to live a life without limits. To support this vision, the charity aims to raise £100,000 and RSBC is creating a bespoke piece of art—a mosaic in the form of an eye—crafted from thousands of images of eyes shared with the charity. They are also encouraging a minimum £5 donation made via Just Giving (www.justgiving.com/campaign/wsd).

Doug Allan said: “My work as a wildlife and documentary cameraman takes me into the world’s wildernesses. I relish the bite of a freezing wind on my skin, rain on my face, or sand between my toes. But imagine if I couldn’t see the distant horizons. Didn’t have acute enough vision to make out the animals against the skyline or the jungle backdrop. I would be missing so much”.

He added “I myself, have glaucoma. I was lucky – it was diagnosed 25 years ago during a routine medical before a trip to Antarctica. My condition was picked up in time, and while there’s been some deterioration it still doesn’t really impact on what I do. Healthy sight is absolutely critical and it’s a pleasure and privilege to support the Royal Society for Blind Children ahead of World Sight Day.”

Shalni Sood, Director of Philanthropy at the Royal Society for Blind Children, highlights the simplicity of taking part, stating, “Participating is simple, and people can contribute to the campaign as individuals or as business organisations. All you must do is email a photo of your eyes to [email protected] and we kindly ask that you donate on our Just Giving Campaign page www.justgiving.com/campaign/wsd. We will do the rest!”

Shalni added, “We’ve created a sustainable, simple, effective, and compelling way to engage employees, customers, and suppliers as part of their corporate social responsibility strategy whilst also supporting those who have no choice but to live with sight loss.”

“We’re delighted to have the support of organisations such as Kroll, Triodos Bank, Zen Internet and Tata Consultancy Services and more, all of whom are acknowledging the importance of eye health in the workplace and are generously fundraising to support our work.”

To learn more about how you can participate and fundraise for the Royal Society for Blind Children as part of World Sight Day, please contact [email protected] or visit our campaign page at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/wsd