Pete Ross and friend Lee Goosey, have set themselves the tough challenge of cycling 250 miles around the border of Hampshire, to raise much needed funds to pay for Eye Health Education Presentations at primary schools throughout Hampshire.

Eye Health Education is important as one in four children aged between 5 and 12 suffer from an undiagnosed sight problem which may be detrimental to their ability to learn and their performance at school.

There are 104,533 primary school children in Hampshire and over the past year, our Community Development Manager, Terry Smith, visited 24 schools and spoke to 6,000 pupils.  This coming year, we would
like to double that number and reach out to 12,000 pupils at 48 schools!

We have set the target of covering a gruelling 70 miles per day to raise the £6,000 needed to pay for the Eye Health Education Presentations.

Pete says, “The training has started and although the weather has been quite a challenge lately it’s going to be worth the effort to raise awareness and encourage children to look after their sight.”

Eye Health Presentations costs just 50p per child and the information leaflets we give out mean that they are an effective way of getting the Eye Health message the wider family.

For one little girl a talk at her school was life changing, as her mother Sarah Spurr recalls;

“In 2015 you visited my daughter’s school, Kings Copse Primary School. I work as a teaching assistant and was in class when you were talking to the children about how to keep our eyes healthy.  One of the points discussed was the importance of regular eye sight tests.  I made an appointment for myself and my daughters to have our eyes tested.
The optician diagnosed Izzy aged 5 with very poor sight in one of her eyes and referred her to the eye hospital for further tests.  If it hadn't been for your visit I wouldn't have thought to take all of us for a test.  So thank you.  I am pleased to say that at our last appointment at the eye hospital her sight is improving and both eyes are now working together.
Incidentally our story, told at the school gates, has encouraged several others to go to the opticians.  I can think of at least two other children that are also now wearing glasses!”

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