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Close your eyes and imagine you've been told your going blind.....just try it!   What if you found yourself falling frequently – tripping over something you didn’t see as the edge of your vision is fuzzy.  The condition could be Retinitis Pigmentosa; it's the biggest cause of inherited blindness in the UK and affects 1,500 other Scots but that's no comfort – still less that ther's currently no known cure.    We're trying to raise money in support - cycling 120 miles round the Caringorms on Saturday 21st May. This all started seven years ago as the Tour de Grouse for a bunch of 'cyclists' who enjoyed bonne homie and raising money for worthy charities - often smaller ones dear to our hearts. This one is no exception for which every pound will count. Please join us and read on.   The charity is RP Fighting Blindness and states.... "Night blindness, or tunnel vision, or inherited blindness, are understood.  With RP, the cells in the retina – the lining at the back of the eye – gradually degenerate and then die, and as they do so, sight degenerates and then eventually fails. RP is inherited, so sometimes in families we see several generations of people with sight loss.  RP can rob people of their sight at varying ages, with varying speeds. It affects men, women, and children of all races.   RP Fighting Blindness needs your financial support to do two things. Firstly, we want to provide hope through medical research looking for a cure or treatment. Since our inception we have invested some £10m into RP research, and this together with work going on around the world has brought us to the point where, with some potential treatments, clinical trials have started or are pending. Clinical trials are the most expensive stage of any medical research, so we need even more support as we try to fund the transfer of this science from the laboratories to the patients. We are at a very exciting stage and we will make the breakthrough, but we need funding for this to happen.   Secondly, we provide Information & Support services to people with RP and their families. We provide an extensive website, an Outreach Project, local networks, leaflets and booklets, a telephone Helpline and Befriending service, a film, online networks, research news, a magazine and much more. The most important element here is the emotional and practical support given by volunteers with RP to others with the condition. Without this network of support, many of our members would find the condition difficult if not impossible to deal with – particularly when a child is diagnosed.   At RP Fighting Blindness we very much appreciate the support of our Scottish groups and members, and money raised has often been used to fund genetic research in Edinburgh. The ‘Tour De Grouse’ will raise more money and more awareness of our work in Scotland and we are very, very grateful for your help.   Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Tour de Grouse fighting blindness

Tour de Grouse fighting blindness

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