#Take10Give10 with Sightsavers

I’m happy to be taking part in Sightsavers charity project #Take10Give10 as part of their three year Million Miraclesfundraising campaign. It’s an ambitious campaign to help provide a million cataract operation to adults and children across Africa and Aisa.

We’re coming to the time of year where there are a lot of demands on our purses but it’s also the time of year when any donations made to Sightsavers and other charities are doubled by the government. So, now is important.

For many, it is the simplest of processes to treat a cataract and can take as little as 10 minutes. In certain parts of the world, it isn’t lack of ability to treat, it’s lack of money to pay for the treatment. If you are beset by cataracts that impair your vision, you cannot work, you cannot easily learn, you cannot fend for yourself without the help of others, you cannot defend yourself and you cannot defend those closest to you. It’s a totally disempowering, arbitrary condition that can strike through a build-up of protein that clouds the eye’s lens. You can be born with it or you can develop it. Either way, 20 million people across the world are blind because of it.

Sightsavers asked me and others to come up with a way to take 10 minutes out to benefit your wellbeing beforegiving £5 (which will become £10) and I don’t think it will be any surprise that I’m going to suggest that you hop into a gorgeous, steamy, relaxing bath. Lock the door, light a candle, flip on the loudest rock music you can find, blast out some opera, find a funny podcast, double up the bubbles and make yourself a santa beard (Instagram that!), pour yourself a cheeky glass of wine, slap on a face mask, phone a friend, Snapchat your toes – make that me-time something to celebrate because at the end of it, you have something to be proud of! I’m also going to suggest – because let’s face it, we are the worst at taking time out for ourselves – that you buy 10 minutes for a friend and send them a snap of your text. Why not? It’s all about doubling up.

What happens to your £5 donation? Everything received in support of Million Miracles is heading to fund a million operations to restore, save and protect sight for young and old and everything in between. £10 pays for plastic lenses for 10 cataract operations. So make sure you take 10 to enhance your life and giving 10 by texting VISION to 70800 before 9^th January and @DFID_UK will make it £10.

* Money raised from this appeal will be matched by the UK government, pound for pound, until 9th January 2018.

**Your text will cost £5 plus one message at your standard network rate. Sightsavers will receive 100% of your £5 donation. If you’d rather not hear from Sightsavers, please text NOCONTACT SIGHT to 78866. Or you can call 01444 446600 if you’d like to discuss this mobile payment.