The seasonal appeal runs from 21 November to mid-January and involves coverage of Sightsavers work, helping change the lives of blind and visually impaired people in the developing world. All donations made by individuals in the UK will be matched pound for pound by the UK Government, in support of the public’s choice to give to this cause.
The appeal already has match funding from Standard Chartered through its community investment programme, Seeing is Believing, meaning every £1 given by a member of the UK public will result in £3 going towards the appeal. Money will be spent providing treatment and operations to improve or restore sight.
Andrew Mitchell, Secretary of State for International Development, said:
“The British public has repeatedly shown its generosity during tough economic times, supporting charities’ life-altering work in some of the world’s poorest countries. We are responding to that generosity of spirit by matching public support for Sightsavers pound for pound – and working with Standard Chartered means the charity can triple its impact.
“A child goes blind somewhere in the world every minute of every day – and those in the poorest countries are at the greatest risk. This extra support could help Sightsavers provide tens of thousands more trachoma operations and hundreds of thousands more eye examinations, giving children a better chance of completing their education, of finding a job, and ultimately of achieving a brighter future.”
Dr Caroline Harper, CEO, Sightsavers, commented: “I am delighted that the UK government is involving the UK public in the way the international aid budget is spent. Of the 39 million people in the world who are blind, 90 per cent live in developing countries. This match funding will have a huge impact on the amount of people we will be able to help through the Financial Times appeal.”
Martin Dickson, Deputy Editor of the FT, added: “This is great news. The match funding from the British government, together with that from Standard Chartered, means that readers’ donations will go much further – an excellent incentive for giving.”
The appeal officially launches on 30 November with a photography auction at London’s Getty Gallery. Articles, which will feature the charity’s work in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Kenya and Nigeria, will appear in the newspaper and online.
Sightsavers works in more than 30 developing countries to prevent and cure blindness, and to support those who are visually impaired through education and training. Working with its local partners, in 2010 Sightsavers protected over 23 million people against river blindness; performed over 270,000 sight-restoring cataract operations; and treated over one million people for trachoma. It also supports the vital training of health professionals, the promotion of independence for people who are blind and inclusive education for blind and visually impaired children.
