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Young eye cancer survivor, aged 9, to welcome £20,000 charity cycling quest riders back to Vision Express HQ

Young eye cancer survivor, aged 9, to welcome £20,000 charity cycling quest riders back to Vision Express HQ

A young eye cancer survivor will be welcoming a team of cyclists from Vision Express as they arrive back in Nottingham after a gruelling 200-mile quest to raise £20,000 for charity.

Tom Ellington, nine, from Cookham, Berkshire, will join Vision Express staff as they greet cyclists at the end of the two-day Ride4Sight fundraising challenge from Newport to Nottingham to raise funds for the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT).

Nottingham’s four-time Olympic cycling medallist Bryan Steel will lead the riders home alongside Vision Express CEO Jonathan Lawson. Paralympian and CHECT patron Darren Harris will also participate, riding on a tandem bike with Bryan, along with Tom’s father Ian Ellington, who is chairman of the charity.

Tom was diagnosed with retinoblastoma when he was just two years old. He underwent extensive treatment at The Royal London Hospital, where his right eye was removed to save his life.

This is the third year employees from the Vision Express support centre and stores across the country have taken part in the Ride4Sight, which aims to raise vital funds for CHECT and increase awareness of the condition. Ride4Sight was established in 2013 to mark the 25th anniversary of Vision Express.

Back by popular demand, this year’s ride will begin at 7.30am on September 16 at the Newport Vision Express store before heading through a scenic route across the Wye Valley, Forest of Dean and the Cotswolds. The route north will include visits to Vision Express stores in Monmouth, Stratford-upon-Avon, Knowle and Ashby before finishing at Vision Express headquarters in Ruddington, Nottingham on the afternoon of September 17, 2016.

The ride takes place ahead of National Eye Health Week, which runs from September 19-25.

Tom said:

“I’m really excited to be welcoming home the riders. The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust is a brilliant charity that has helped all of my family so I’m really pleased to be helping them out. I think I’ve got the easy job here – I’m looking forward to seeing my dad ride across the finish line!”

Jonathan Lawson said:

"The last Ride4Sight was a fantastic success, bringing together teams from across our store network to support the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust. The volunteers who have stepped up to do this for 2016 aren’t professional cyclists, so for many it’s a personal challenge, undertaking what will be the toughest route yet. Helping families affected by such a devastating condition is a cause close to our hearts and we’ve got our sights set on beating our £20,000 fundraising target.”

CHECT Chairman Ian Ellington, who will be taking part in the challenge said:

“The funds raised from the Ride4Sight will help ensure that when a parent’s worst nightmare is realised and they are told the devastating news that their child has eye cancer, they do not have to face this on their own.

“CHECT provides life-long support to those affected, as well as funding ground-breaking research projects that will benefit children in the future. We are very grateful to Vision Express for helping us to educate others about this life-threatening condition and to raise much-needed funds to enable this vital work to continue.”

Vision Express has enjoyed an award-winning partnership with the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT) since 2010, using initiatives to raise awareness and drive donations for the charity, so they can help more families affected.

It was the first optician in the UK to roll out a protocol to ensure a quick and effective referral if retinoblastoma is suspected. Employees and customers of Vision Express have raised around £300,000 since the partnership was forged.

Vision Express offers an eye test to best practice guidelines of the College of Optometrists (COO), with each Vision Express optometrist being a qualified eye health professional. To book an eye test at the Nottingham store call 0115 941 4200 or make an online enquiry at: www.visionexpress.com/book-eye-test/

For more information on retinoblastoma please visit www.chect.org.uk


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