WE MADE IT!

As part of our lockdown exercise regime, Lizzie and I set ourselves the task of climbing Everest! And I decided to raise some money for the British Council for Prevention of Blindness (BCPB) in the process. By walking up the four flights of stairs to our attic ten times each day we  climbed a total of 200 feet. After 55 days on the 29th May 2020 - exactly 67 years to the day after Hilary and Tensing first set foot on the summit - we also finally finished our climb, having climbed the equivalent to going up from the Base Camp in Nepal to the summit of Everest (albeit in easier stages and with better oxygen levels). We have now made it to the top but we still need more help to reach our target for BCPB ....so gifts are still welcome!

By coincidence, in 2017, BCPB funded a programme in Nepal where researchers found groups of children who needed optical aids in order to be able to function after surgery for congenital cataract. They then organised training for key workers to ensure that such children would continue to be given the tools to attend school and reach their full potential. In 2018, BCPB funded a project to train health workers throughout Tanzania to recognise eye conditions in very young children and babies in whom early treatment is critical to prevent permanent blindness. In 2019, a workshop project in southern Africa trained surgeons in the latest cataract techniques. This demonstrated marked improvement in their outcomes and productivity and increased access to such treatment for people in some of the poorest communities of the region .

This is how BCPB works. Using relatively small amounts of funding, they  invest in research and education projects which can prevent blindness and benefit whole communities in poorer parts of the world. We don’t yet know what the impact of Covid19 will be in such parts, but I do know that the work of BCPB will need to continue – so please give generously.