Remember a Charity Week - Leaving a gift to Orbis

“I had personal experience of vision loss. My Uncle Len lost his sight around the age of 60.

“He had glaucoma, but it was an operation that left a blood clot behind his eye that meant he never saw again. Ever since then I always had this concern about people losing their sight.

“Even though Uncle Len was blind he still had a mostly cheerful life with access to everything he needed.

But imagine living in the middle of Africa, India or Bangladesh. If you can’t work because of vision loss, you can’t live. That is why Orbis made a big impression on me."

For Richard, reflecting on all the things he has seen in his life and his hopes for future generations was also part of the decision to leave a gift to Orbis.

“I remember watching grainy pictures of the astronauts stepping down and walking on the moon’s surface for the first time.

I saw Concorde’s first and last flights because I live not very far away from the airport, in Bristol. Looking back, I’ve seen some very momentous moments in my life.

“When it came to updating our wills, Sharon and I reflected on our lives and what we’ll be leaving behind. It was Sharon’s idea to pledge a gift for Orbis.

“To know that this money is being used to help people in dire circumstances across the world to have a good life, it’s a no brainer.

To help save sight so someone can go back to work, provide for their family, or go back to school, that’s a pretty strong argument to me.”

Thanks to people like Richard and Sharon, gifts in wills enable us to plan sight-saving eye care programmes with greater certainty.

From specialist training for eye care professionals in places with limited health infrastructure, raising awareness of eye health among families, to surgeries that give children and adults everywhere the hope of a brighter, more secure future.

When you leave a gift in your will to Orbis you are helping to save sight across the world for generations to come.