I WOULD like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the three million plus players of People’s Postcode Lottery in Britain, in an incredibly challenging year for us all.

Since 2005 those playing have raised over £600 million for good causes, which is just incredible.

Over £6 million of this we have been grateful to receive at Sightsavers. Money raised by players has been indispensable in helping Sightsavers to fund, in 2020 alone, eye services for more than 49,000 people and more than 500 sight-saving cataract surgeries.

This year funding also helped us to support the COVID-19 response. Children with disabilities kept learning throughout the pandemic, thanks to distance learning equipment and teacher training, PPE and hygiene kits.

Children like Marie in Sierra Leone, who is blind and was at danger of being left behind when schools closed, until she was given a typewriter, radio and assistance so that she could keep studying.

So once again, a big thank you to all the players in the South West for your generosity.

To find out about some of the lives being turned around by players’ support, please head on over to www.sightsavers.org/ppl or give Sightsavers a call on 0800 089 2020.

Dr Caroline Harper CBE

Sightsavers CEO