100% SUPPORT FOR BLIND WALK
The UK’s largest optical event, 100% Optical, has pledged its support for the Big Blind Walk 2018, in collaboration with VisionBridge, to help stop sight loss in its tracks.
Promising a bumper gathering for its “fabulous fifth anniversary” at London Excel on January 27-29, 2018, the show will help raise awareness of life changing eye research.
Founder of VisionBridge, Julian Jackson said: “Sadly, eye research is one of the best kept secrets in the UK, despite all the impressive breakthroughs and developments over the last 50 years but with the help of 100% Optical, we hope to change this.
“100% Optical is the place where eye health innovation begins. It pulls the optical profession together and represents the very best in education for optometry and ophthalmology.”
Sponsored by 100% Optical and Second Sight and supported by official partner National Eye Research Centre and a range of organisations with an interest in sight loss and eye health, the 1,000 mile walk from Land’s End to John O’Groats commences on 29 April for seven weeks and aims to raise awareness and understanding of sight loss, promote eye research and create a new fund for translational research. Visit bigblindwalk.com to join the walk through your home town or make a donation.
100% Optical event director, Nathan Garnett said, “We want to support and enhance the optical sector and this is the perfect cause for us to champion this year. The show is more than just an industry event, it has always aimed to provide a thought leadership platform and influential “voice” for eye health innovation.
“It’s really shaping up to be our best year yet, which is bound to have a great impact on the awareness of VisionBridge and boost support for the Big Blind Walk. We’re really looking forward to donning our walking shoes to join in next April too.”
100% Optical works in partnership with the Association of Optometrists and is Europe’s fastest growing optical event, set to attract over 8,000 UK and international visitors.
Renowned for its buzzing atmosphere, 100% Optical offers a positive visitor experience, created by the bustling exhibition floor, fashion shows, interactive workshops, world class education programme, learning hubs, design competitions and the central bar.
Visit www.100percentoptical.com
VisionBridge
After five years as Director of Development and then Senior Adviser to a leading eye research charity, Julian launched the social enterprise “VisionBridge” in June 2016, supported by a growing nationwide group of academic researchers, clinician scientists and patient advocates. He is building on the work he started in 2014 to promote eye health, increase the awareness and understanding of sight loss and introduce the extraordinary world of eye research to the public, eye health professionals, patients and the wider Visually Impaired community across the UK.
VisionBridge is passionate about promoting eye research, raising awareness of sight loss and signposting donations to appropriate eye research funders.
Visit www.visionbridge.org.uk
National Eye Research Centre
National Eye Research Centre is a registered charity that raises funds for investment in pioneering research into the causes of, and treatments for, eye disease and sight loss. The charity’s vision is a world with an effective treatment for every eye disease. It says that sight loss is feared second only to a cancer diagnosis yet less than 2% of all medical research funding is directed at eye disease. It says 40 people lose their sight in the UK every day, that almost two million people in the UK are living with a level of sight loss that has a significant impact on their daily lives. As the UK population ages sight loss will increase dramatically, it warns, and by 2050 the number of people with sight loss will double. Sight loss and eye health is estimated to cost the UK economy over £28bn every year.
Visit www.nerc-charity.org.uk
Second Sight
Second Sight’s mission is to develop, manufacture and market innovative implantable visual prosthetics to enable blind individuals to achieve greater independence. Second Sight developed and manufactures, the Argus® II Retinal Prosthesis System. Enrolment has been completed in a trial to test the safety and utility of the Argus II in individuals with Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Second Sight is also developing the Orion™ I Visual Cortical Prosthesis to restore some vision to individuals who are blind due to causes other than preventable or treatable conditions. U.S. Headquarters are in Sylmar, CA, and European Headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland. For more information,
Visit www.secondsight.com.
100% Optical
100% Optical is the trade event for all optical professionals. The show first took place in 2014 and works in partnership with the Association of Optometrists.
Media 10 is the most decorated media and events company in the UK. A privately owned company based, in Loughton, Essex, employing 200 staff, Media 10 Ltd has fast become one of the leading players in the media and events industry as a result of running some of the most iconic and successful events and magazines in the country, including Grand Designs magazine, Icon magazine, Grand Designs Live and the world’s oldest consumer exhibition: The Ideal Home Show.