Seven Thank Yous for Thank You Day 2023. Who would you like to thank?
Today is "thank you" day. It is a day to thank Unsung Heroes in the community. As a charity with a mission to save sight and change lives, many people support us, and we'd like to take this opportunity to thank them.
Today is "thank you" day. It is a day to thank Unsung Heroes in the community.
As a charity with a mission to save sight and change lives, many people support us, and we'd like to take this opportunity to thank them.
1. Researchers working to stop sight loss
We invest in research that aims to stop sight loss and to find treatment and cures – our aim is to support early career researchers and early-stage research. We’re grateful to have such high-calibre applications and to be able to award grants to some of the UK’s most talented researchers.
For example, our recent £1.2 million award is funding top talent aiming to accelerate breakthroughs in
- Diabetic Retinopathy
- Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA),
- Leber hereditary optic nerve neuropathy (LHON)
- Stargardt’s disease,
- Uveitis.
As Dr Madina Kara, Director of Research and Innovation at Fight for Sight, said: “These exciting new projects aim to prevent or address sight loss caused by various eye diseases affecting children and adults.”
- Thank you to all the researchers working to save sight and change live
2. Co-funders for eye research projects
At Fight for Sight / Vision Foundation working in partnership is key. For example, six of the eleven Small Grant Awards we announced in April 2023, six are co-funded in partnership with other organisations – Glaucoma UK, BIOS, Nystagmus Network and Esme’s Umbrella.
- Thank you to all the organisations collaborating with us to save sight and change lives.
- Read more about our small grant awards
3. Marathon efforts and beyond
At Fight for Sight / Vision Foundation, we’re always in awe of anyone who goes literally the extra miles to support us in raising funds through events.
Read about some of the people who have run marathons to raise money for us, including best friends Joe and Joe, and step-father and step-son duo Nick and Jude.
4. Volunteers and fundraisers
Many people give their time free to Fight for Sight Vision Foundation, and we’d like to use today to say a big “thank you”.
Many of you might have joined in with the Big Help Out, which provided opportunities to get involved and support our work for “Little Big Helpers”, “Big Helpers”, and “Super Big Helpers”. We are grateful for your support.
You can read about how one inspiring volunteer’s journey led them to work for us.
Seeking inspiration for how to support us in the future? Look at our A to Z of fundraising ideas or 100 fundraising ideas.
5. Family Funds
We have several Family Funds groups, which have been set up to raise money for specific conditions affecting them or a family member. The dedication and commitment of these groups mean “thank you” hardly seems enough.
So, on “thank you” day, we offer our gratitude to:
- Tommy Salisbury Choroideremia Fund
- Team Tilda
- Cameron Family Fund
- Warwickshire Committee
- Northampton Supporter Group
- The Roberts Family Fund
- Team G Singh
- The AK Community
6. A gift in a will
A Gift in a Will can support us to Save Sight, Change Lives. One good example is The Royal College of Ophthalmologists / Fight for Sight Zakarian Awards. They are named to honour the late Miss Zakarian who generously left Fight for Sight a legacy to help the charity support pioneering researchers.
Naming the award after Miss Zakarian pays tribute to her kindness and the important difference, she has made to ophthalmology research.
7. Changing Lives: our project partners
We work in partnership with charitable. We fund and support projects that involve, empower and include blind and partially sighted people from inception through to delivery.
We’ve funded projects around The Unseen, which deals with Domestic Violence and Preventing Avoidable Blindness.
Is there someone who has supported you, and you'd like to say thank you? Email us at press@fightforsight.org.uk.