Fight for Sight
Encyclopedia
Fight for Sight is the UK’s leading charity dedicated to funding world-class research into the prevention and treatment of blindness and eye disease.
Since 1965 the charity has been funding medical research into a wide-range of eye conditions, including macular degeneration
, glaucoma
, cataract
, corneal eye disease, trachoma
, diabetic retinopathy
as well as a wide range of inherited eye diseases and the causes of childhood blindness.
The charity funds researchers based at universities and hospitals throughout the UK and those undertaking research in the UK and overseas. To ensure the research is of the highest quality, the charity has established an extensive process of independent peer review. As a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC), the peer review process complies with AMRC guidelines for best practice.
Fight for Sight in the U.K. is unaffiliated with the organization also named Fight for Sight (U.S.)
in the United States.
became Fight for Sight’s Royal Patron.
Fight for Sight as it exists today evolved from a merger of Fight for Sight and the British Eye Research Foundation (formerly known as Iris Fund for Prevention of Blindness) in 2005. This merger created the largest national charity dedicated to funding eye research in the UK.
.
The charity’s aim is to fund research that increases knowledge that leads to prevention, cures and improved treatments of all the major eye diseases and offers a better quality of life to patients.
Miss Joan Collins
OBE
Dr Ahmad Al-Dubayan, Director General of the Islamic Cultural Centre and the London Central Mosque Trust
His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain
The Very Reverend John Hall
, Dean of Westminster
Mr Rolf Harris
OBE
Miss Jan Leeming
Lady Susanna Lyell
Miss Sue MacGregor
CBE
The Free Churches Moderator
The Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland
Mr Philip Mould
OBE
President of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists
President of the Royal College of Physicians
Lord Jonathan Sacks
, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth
Sir James Spooner FCA
Fight for Sight also has guaranteed places available in some of the most popular running events such as the Virgin London Marathon
, the ASICS British 10K, and the Royal Parks Foundation
Half Marathon.
money is allocated to research teams based in the UK and attached to recognised academic or medical institutions. The research may be undertaken in the UK or overseas.
The charity provides a range of funding opportunities each year, these include:
and hospital
s into a wide range of eye conditions. Below is a list of the conditions into which the charity is currently funding research.
Since 1965 the charity has been funding medical research into a wide-range of eye conditions, including macular degeneration
Macular degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration is a medical condition which usually affects older adults and results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field because of damage to the retina. It occurs in “dry” and “wet” forms. It is a major cause of blindness and visual impairment in older adults...
, glaucoma
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disorder in which the optic nerve suffers damage, permanently damaging vision in the affected eye and progressing to complete blindness if untreated. It is often, but not always, associated with increased pressure of the fluid in the eye...
, cataract
Cataract
A cataract is a clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its envelope, varying in degree from slight to complete opacity and obstructing the passage of light...
, corneal eye disease, trachoma
Trachoma
Trachoma is an infectious disease causing a characteristic roughening of the inner surface of the eyelids. Also called granular conjunctivitis and Egyptian ophthalmia, it is the leading cause of infectious blindness in the world...
, diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is retinopathy caused by complications of diabetes mellitus, which can eventually lead to blindness....
as well as a wide range of inherited eye diseases and the causes of childhood blindness.
The charity funds researchers based at universities and hospitals throughout the UK and those undertaking research in the UK and overseas. To ensure the research is of the highest quality, the charity has established an extensive process of independent peer review. As a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC), the peer review process complies with AMRC guidelines for best practice.
Fight for Sight in the U.K. is unaffiliated with the organization also named Fight for Sight (U.S.)
Fight for Sight (U.S.)
Fight for Sight is a nonprofit organization in the United States which funds medical research in vision and ophthalmology. It was formed in 1946 as the National Council to Combat Blindness , the first non-profit in the United States to fund vision research; 2011 marked its 65th anniversary.Based in...
in the United States.
History
Fight for Sight was founded in 1965 by Professor Norman Ashton CBE Director of Pathology at the Institute of Ophthalmology and a world leader in research into eye diseases. In the same year, the Prevention of Blindness Research Fund (which later became the British Eye Research Foundation) was established with funds raised by the Royal Eye Hospital League of Friends. In 1989, Prince Andrew, Duke of YorkPrince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
became Fight for Sight’s Royal Patron.
Fight for Sight as it exists today evolved from a merger of Fight for Sight and the British Eye Research Foundation (formerly known as Iris Fund for Prevention of Blindness) in 2005. This merger created the largest national charity dedicated to funding eye research in the UK.
Organisation
The charity's headquarters are in London, England. Fight for Sight's Royal patron is Prince Andrew, Duke of YorkPrince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
.
Vision and mission
Fight for Sight’s mission statement is “Funding world class research into the prevention and treatment of blindness and eye disease”The charity’s aim is to fund research that increases knowledge that leads to prevention, cures and improved treatments of all the major eye diseases and offers a better quality of life to patients.
Governance
Fight for Sight is governed by a board of Trustees who meet at least four times a year to agree the strategy and areas of activity for the charity. There are 12 Trustees on the board.Patrons
Mr Arnold BurtonMiss Joan Collins
Joan Collins
Joan Henrietta Collins, OBE , is an English actress, author, and columnist. Born in Paddington and raised in Maida Vale, Collins grew up during the Second World War. At the age of nine, she made her stage debut in A Doll's House and after attending school, she was classically trained as an actress...
OBE
Dr Ahmad Al-Dubayan, Director General of the Islamic Cultural Centre and the London Central Mosque Trust
His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain
The Very Reverend John Hall
John Robert Hall
John Robert Hall FRSA is an English priest of the Church of England. He is the current Dean of Westminster.-Education:Hall was educated at St Dunstan's College, Catford and St Chad's College, University of Durham...
, Dean of Westminster
Mr Rolf Harris
Rolf Harris
Rolf Harris, CBE, AM is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, painter and television personality.Born in Perth, Western Australia, Harris was a champion swimmer before studying art. He moved to England in 1952, where he started to appear on television programmes on which he drew the...
OBE
Miss Jan Leeming
Jan Leeming
Jan Leeming is a British TV presenter and newsreader.-Career:Born Janet Atkins in Kent, England, and educated at the St. Joseph's Convent Grammar School, she worked as an actress and presenter in Australia and New Zealand before becoming a well-known face on British television in regional and...
Lady Susanna Lyell
Miss Sue MacGregor
Sue MacGregor
Susan Katriona MacGregor CBE is a British writer and broadcaster.-Early life:Her parents were Scottish and emigrated to South Africa where she was brought up. Her father was a doctor, a neurologist who was in the British 14th Army in Burma in the Royal Army Medical Corps...
CBE
The Free Churches Moderator
The Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland
Mr Philip Mould
Philip Mould
Philip Mould OBE is an English art dealer and art historian, specialising in British portraits.-Biography:Mould has made a number of art discoveries, particularly in the works of Thomas Gainsborough, and Tudor portraiture...
OBE
President of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists
President of the Royal College of Physicians
Lord Jonathan Sacks
Jonathan Sacks
Jonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks, Kt is the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. His Hebrew name is Yaakov Zvi...
, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth
Sir James Spooner FCA
Fundraising
Fundraising activities undertaken by the charity’s supporters include coffee mornings, garden parties, a clay pigeon shoot, golf days, marathons, triathlons and cycle rides.Fight for Sight also has guaranteed places available in some of the most popular running events such as the Virgin London Marathon
London Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
, the ASICS British 10K, and the Royal Parks Foundation
Royal Parks Foundation
The Royal Parks Foundation is a registered charity established in 1993 whose purpose is the protection and preservation of London’s Royal Parks. The charity’s patron is Charles, Prince of Wales.-Deckchair Dreams:...
Half Marathon.
Achievements
Since 1965, the charity’s major achievements include:- saving the sight of thousands of premature babies through understanding and controlling levels of oxygenOxygenOxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
delivery;
- restoring sight by establishing the UK Corneal Transplant Service enabling over 48,000 corneal transplants to take place
- revolutionising the treatment for children with amblyopiaAmblyopiaAmblyopia, also known as lazy eye, is a disorder of the visual system that is characterized by a vision deficiency in an eye that is otherwise physically normal, or out of proportion to associated structural abnormalities of the eye...
(lazy eye)
- bringing hope to children with inherited eye disease by helping fund the team responsible for the world’s first gene therapyGene therapyGene therapy is the insertion, alteration, or removal of genes within an individual's cells and biological tissues to treat disease. It is a technique for correcting defective genes that are responsible for disease development...
clinical trial
- providing £1 million for the research unit at the children’s eye centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital
Grants
Most of Fight for Sight's grantGrant (money)
Grants are funds disbursed by one party , often a Government Department, Corporation, Foundation or Trust, to a recipient, often a nonprofit entity, educational institution, business or an individual. In order to receive a grant, some form of "Grant Writing" often referred to as either a proposal...
money is allocated to research teams based in the UK and attached to recognised academic or medical institutions. The research may be undertaken in the UK or overseas.
The charity provides a range of funding opportunities each year, these include:
- PhDPHDPHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
studentship - Project grant
- Programme grant
- Clinical Fellowship
- Dr Hans and Mrs Gertrude Hirsh Award
- Early Career Investigator Award
- Fight for Sight Small Grant Award
Key areas of research
Fight for Sight is currently funding research projects at 20 universitiesUniversity
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
and hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s into a wide range of eye conditions. Below is a list of the conditions into which the charity is currently funding research.
- AchromatopsiaAchromatopsiaAchromatopsia , is a medical syndrome that exhibits symptoms relating to at least five separate individual disorders. Although the term may refer to acquired disorders such as color agnosia and cerebral achromatopsia, it typically refers to an autosomal recessive congenital color vision disorder,...
- After-cataract
- Age-related macular degenerationMacular degenerationAge-related macular degeneration is a medical condition which usually affects older adults and results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field because of damage to the retina. It occurs in “dry” and “wet” forms. It is a major cause of blindness and visual impairment in older adults...
(AMD) - AniridiaAniridiaAniridia is the absence of the iris. Aniridia usually involves both eyes. It can be congenital or caused by a penetrant injury. Isolated aniridia is a congenital disorder which is not limited to a defect in iris development, but is a panocular condition with macular and optic nerve hypoplasia,...
- AnophthalmiaAnophthalmiaAnophthalmia, also known as anophthalmos , is the congenital absence of one or both eyes.-Prevalence:...
and microphthalmiaMicrophthalmiaMicrophthalmia also referred to as microphthalmos, nanophthalmia or nanophthalmos, is a developmental disorder of the eye that literally means small eye... - CataractCataractA cataract is a clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its envelope, varying in degree from slight to complete opacity and obstructing the passage of light...
- ChoroideremiaChoroideremiaChoroideremia is an X-linked recessive retinal degenerative disease that leads to the degeneration of the choriocapillaris, the retinal pigment epithelium, and the photoreceptor of the eye....
- Cone dystrophies
- Corneal eye disease
- Diabetic retinopathyDiabetic retinopathyDiabetic retinopathy is retinopathy caused by complications of diabetes mellitus, which can eventually lead to blindness....
- Duane syndromeDuane syndromeDuane syndrome is a rare, congenital eye movement disorder most commonly characterized by the inability of the eye to abduct or move outwards...
- GlaucomaGlaucomaGlaucoma is an eye disorder in which the optic nerve suffers damage, permanently damaging vision in the affected eye and progressing to complete blindness if untreated. It is often, but not always, associated with increased pressure of the fluid in the eye...
- Inherited retinal diseases
- KeratoconusKeratoconusKeratoconus , is a degenerative disorder of the eye in which structural changes within the cornea cause it to thin and change to a more conical shape than its normal gradual curve....
- Leber’s congenital amaurosis (LCA)
- Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy
- Macular degenerationMacular degenerationAge-related macular degeneration is a medical condition which usually affects older adults and results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field because of damage to the retina. It occurs in “dry” and “wet” forms. It is a major cause of blindness and visual impairment in older adults...
- Nance- Horan syndrome
- NystagmusNystagmusNystagmus is a condition of involuntary eye movement, acquired in infancy or later in life, that may result in reduced or limited vision.There are two key forms of Nystagmus: pathological and physiological, with variations within each type. Nystagmus may be caused by congenital disorders,...
- Ocular SyphilisSyphilisSyphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
- Optic nerve disease
- Retinitis pigmentosaRetinitis pigmentosaRetinitis pigmentosa is a group of genetic eye conditions that leads to incurable blindness. In the progression of symptoms for RP, night blindness generally precedes tunnel vision by years or even decades. Many people with RP do not become legally blind until their 40s or 50s and retain some...
(RP) - Stargardt’s disease
- TrachomaTrachomaTrachoma is an infectious disease causing a characteristic roughening of the inner surface of the eyelids. Also called granular conjunctivitis and Egyptian ophthalmia, it is the leading cause of infectious blindness in the world...
- Uveal effusion syndrome
- Uveal melanomaMelanomaMelanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye...
(eye cancer) - UveitisUveitisUveitis specifically refers to inflammation of the middle layer of the eye, termed the "uvea" but in common usage may refer to any inflammatory process involving the interior of the eye....
See also
- List of eye diseases and disorders
- UCL Institute of OphthalmologyUCL Institute of OphthalmologyThe UCL Institute of Ophthalmology is an institute within the Faculty of Brain Sciences of University College London and is based in London, United Kingdom...
- Manchester Royal Eye HospitalManchester Royal Eye HospitalManchester Royal Eye Hospital is an ophthalmic hospital in Oxford Road, Chorlton on Medlock, Manchester, England. It is part of Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. It was founded in 1814 on the initiative of W. J. Wilson and opened the following year. It is located on the...
- Moorfields Eye HospitalMoorfields Eye HospitalMoorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is an NHS eye hospital located in London, United Kingdom. It is the oldest and largest eye hospital in the world and is internationally renowned for its comprehensive clinical and research activities...
- University College LondonUniversity College LondonUniversity College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
- Queen's University Belfast
- Cambridge University
- London MarathonLondon MarathonThe London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...