On Thursday, 8th June, the Swiss Re UK team will embark on a Coronation themed challenge, aiming to walk the 17-mile route through London, starting at The Gherkin building in the heart of the city, passing some of London's most historic landmarks, including royal palaces, parks, canals and even London Zoo.

Every penny raised will be matched by the Swiss Re Foundation, directly supporting our partnership with Guide Dogs, dedicated to their Family Liaison Support Manager service within Specialist Paediatric Eye Hospitals.

Every year 1,460 parents receive a new diagnosis that their child is blind or losing their sight. When parents hear the devastating news, they often don’t know where to turn and there is no immediate guidance or emotional support available. Families are frightened and have very limited access to resources, until their child reaches school age.

Through previous Swiss Re fundraising Guide Dogs have successfully completed the pilot scheme at Barts Hospital London, expanding to 4 additional hospitals across the UK, ensuring families in their care receive support and guidance from point of diagnosis.

Family Liaison Support Officers provide families with emotional and practical support from the point of diagnosis, helping them to understand their child’s diagnosis with compassion and reassurance. They’ll use their expertise to create a tailored plan for each family, ensuring that they can also benefit from wider support from Guide Dogs Children’s Programmes, as the largest provider of support services for children with sight loss, and guide families on how to gain additional help from other organisations.

We need your help to raise as much money as possible for this wonderful cause, so please sponsor us today as we prepare to walk our socks off for Guide Dogs UK!