Kick start your 2015 ‘get fit’ regime by running for Sightsavers

As the New Year resolutions kick in, Daniel Cooper from Peckham, has signed up to run the Virgin Money London Marathon to raise money for Sightsavers and is calling on more people to join him in running for the international development charity.

Daniel decided to run for Sightsavers after his mother lost the sight in her left eye. "After a lot of hardship while we tried to get the right treatment, she finally received a cornea transplant on the NHS.

"I was so amazed that all of this treatment was free, and felt very lucky to live in the UK. I wanted to do something for those not as fortunate as my mum, which is how I came across Sightsavers." He said.

The 24 year old 3D print designer, who has already begun training for the marathon on 26 April 2015, continued: "My friend is a personal trainer, and is also running the marathon, it's good to have someone else to push you and guide you, and I hope I can encourage others to sign up and help save more sight."

Sightsavers' Director of Individual Giving, Becki Jupp says:

"Running a marathon is no easy feat but raising money for charity is a great reason to dust off your trainers and get moving. We ask marathon runners to sign up at Sightsavers.org by the end of January and raise at least £1,800 to help us transform the lives of people across Africa and Asia."

There are 39 million people in the world who are blind, yet 80 percent of blindness is preventable or curable. 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. All money raised enables Sightsavers to transform lives across Africa and Asia by giving sight back to those who cannot afford medical treatment.

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For more information contact:

Rebecca Keys, Communications Officer on T: 01444 446681 E: rkeys@sightsavers.org

About Sightsavers:

1. Sightsavers is a registered UK charity (Registered charity numbers 207544 and SC038110) that works in more than 30 developing countries to prevent blindness, restore sight and advocate for social inclusion and equal rights for people with disabilities. www.sightsavers.net

2. There are 39 million blind people in the world; 80% of all blindness can be prevented or cured.

3. In the six decades since its foundation, Sightsavers has:

• supported over 483.4 million treatments for blinding and potentially blinding conditions.
• carried out over 8.4 million operations to restore sight.
• trained more than 0.5 million primary eye care workers.
• carried out rehabilitation training for 149,000 blind or low vision beneficiaries.
• supported 30,000 blind or low vision children to gain a school education.

4. Sightsavers' A Million Miracles appeal launched in October 2014 to raise funds over the next three years to perform one million sight-restoring surgeries across Africa and Asia.