Mike Newton

Mike's page

Fundraising for Retina UK
£4,928
raised of £5,000 target
by 24 supporters
Donations cannot currently be made to this page
Event: RP Fighting Blindness - Iceland Trek 2011, on 16 July 2011
Retina UK

Verified by JustGiving

RCN 1153851
We fund sight loss research & support to ensure people can lead a fulfilling life

Story

Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

This Iceland trek will be both exciting and challenging for me. Whilst I am now a pensioner and have retina degeneration, to the extent of being registered blind, I still like a challenge!!  I organised my own first major sponsored walk with my son some 15 years ago, when we walked Wainwrights' 190 mile Coast to Coast route and raised close to £1,800 for The British Retinitis Pigmentosa Society (BRPS). We did that on our own and walked the Dalesway two years later, again raising funds for BRPS. This trek will be a great experience, particularly to take part with other visually impaired trekkers.

The trek, which has been arranged by BRPS and will be supported by Across The Divide (ATD), will take us through some of the most spectacular scenery in Iceland. We will make our camps each night on this 53km trek as we pass through the geothermal areas, volcanoes and glaciers.  The trek will start at Landmannalaugar and will take us along rocky mountain tracks, through some river crossings as well as onto snow and ice till we reach our destination at Skogar.

BRPS is a great charity and you can read more on their own web site pages. The charity is committed to funding research into finding cures for retinitis pigmentosa, which results in severe or total loss of sight for so many people. Over the years it has funded some 200 cutting edge research projects to the value of over £8m. In addition to funding research, the Society also provides support to individuals with retina degeneration. I was Chairman of the North East Branch for several years and know first hand the operation of the charity and the success of the research it funds.

As a participant in the trek I am required to raise at leasr £3,250, but thanks to everyone who has sponsored me so far I have raised over £4,000. Please help me reach or exceed my new target of £5,000 for a very worthy cause. I am most grateful to the members of Hartlepool Round Table who have provided £1,505 towards this target; also a former member of the North East Branch of BRPS who has raised £1,000 in my support and The Rotary Club of Crook which has provide sponsorship of £200.

Despite my sight problems, I still enjoy hill walking, travel and photography. I give talks on my experiences, which enables me to raise funds for various charities. If you are a member of a group which would like me to give a presentation on this trek, or other adventures, do let me know in your message through this web site.

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.

So please dig deep and donate now.

 

 

About the charity

Retina UK

Verified by JustGiving

RCN 1153851
Retina UK is the only UK charity dedicated solely to working for people affected by inherited sight loss. We fund medical research to accelerate the search for treatments for the future, and provide information and support to help people lead better lives today.

Donation summary

Total raised
£4,928.00
+ £146.50 Gift Aid
Online donations
£676.00
Offline donations
£4,252.00

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