LONDON, August 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Vision Direct and Fight for Sight are urging the nation to protect their eyes and think about the dangers of ultra-violet (UV) rays this summer.

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160802/394868 )

Europe's largest online contact lens retailer and the UK's main eye research charity have joined forces to start #ThinkUV. As part of their new campaign, they'll be encouraging everyone to take a sunglasses selfie and help raise funds for pioneering research into sight loss prevention.

The campaign is designed to highlight the importance of looking after your eyes in the sunshine and to protect them from harmful UV rays. Many people are proactive in protecting their skin with sun block, but often forget that too much sun can be just as damaging to your eyes. Over exposure can even lead to conditions such as cataracts or macular degeneration.

A good quality pair of sunglasses can block up to 95% of UV radiation, and can even help reduce the amount of glare that reaches your eyes.

To help spread the word, Vision Direct is asking everyone to post a selfie-style photo of themselves wearing their sunglasses to Instagram, Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #ThinkUV. Participants have the chance to win a £300 Amazon voucher and a free pair of sunglasses from Vision Direct.

Vision Direct has pledged to donate £3 to Fight for Sight for every customer that takes part in the #ThinkUV challenge from Monday 1st August until 16th September 2016. For the duration of the campaign £3 from every pair of sunglasses Vision Direct sells will also be donated to the charity.

To help Fight for Sight fund vital eye research, you can also donate via text:

Just text THUV16 £3 to 70070. (You can give up to £10 at a time by altering the donation amount).

Director of Marketing at Vision Direct, Ashley Mealor, added: "We are proud to support Fight for Sight and the important work they do in pioneering eye research across the UK. Sight is the sense people are most afraid of losing and through supporting charities like Fight for Sight we can help to fund new treatments to restore vision."

Fight for Sight's Chief Executive, Michele Acton, said: "We are delighted to be working with Vision Direct to highlight this important issue that people need to take care of their eyes in the sun. We are urging the nation to support the fight for sight and take a #ThinkUV selfie and raise vital funds for eye research at the same time."

Get involved and show your support by donating today and sharing your #ThinkUV selfie

Interesting facts about sunglasses and UV rays:  

• Sunglasses properly marked with a CE symbol must meet the European standard for UV protection and will keep away UV rays which can otherwise damage your eyes.
• A good quality pair of sunglasses can block up to 95% of UV radiation, and can even help reduce the amount of glare that reaches your eyes
• Many surfaces reflect UV radiation back up at you. For instance sand reflects about 10-25% and snow reflects up to 80%.

Notes to editors: 

About Vision Direct 

Vision Direct is Europe's largest online contact lens supplier, stocking over 1 million lenses from world leading brands, including Focus Dailies, Air Optix and Acuvue Moist. Vision Direct is dedicated to making the purchase of contact lenses easy, quick and affordable. It offers free, fast delivery and seven days a week customer support, as well savings of up to 42% against high street opticians. Customers can order their lenses through the UK Vision Direct website, http://www.VisionDirect.co.uk, any of its European web properties, or by calling the telephone number, 0207 768 5000. Customers can also benefit from a free repeat prescription and reminder service, and receive free eye care advice from Vision Direct's resident optician.

About Fight for Sight  

1. Fight for Sight is the leading UK charity dedicated to funding pioneering research to prevent sight loss and treat eye disease.

2. Fight for Sight is funding research at leading universities and hospitals throughout the UK. Major achievements to date include:

   • saving the sight of thousands of premature babies through understanding and controlling levels of oxygen delivery

   • restoring sight by establishing the UK Corneal Transplant Service enabling over 52,000 corneal transplants to take place

   • providing the funding for the research leading to the world's first clinical trial for choroideremia

   • bringing hope to children with inherited eye disease by helping to fund the team responsible for the world's first gene therapy clinical trial

   • identifying new genes responsible for keratoconus and Nance-Horan syndrome, inherited retinal diseases and corneal dystrophies

3. Fight for Sight's current research programme is focusing on preventing and treating age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, cataract and corneal disease. We are also funding research into the causes of childhood blindness and a large number of rare eye diseases.

Vision Direct contact: Amy Pritchett, Outreach Manager
Tel: +44(0)20-8099-5366 (office) - Mon - Friday 9am to 5:30pm
Email: Amy.Pritchett@visiondirect.co.uk
Address: 6 Camden High Street, London, NW1 0JH
Website: http://www.visiondirect.co.uk  

Fight for Sight contact: Heather Fanning, Media Officer
Tel: +44(0)20-7264-3910 (office) - Mon - Friday 9am to 5:00pm
Email: Heather@fightforsight.org.uk
Address: 18 Mansell St, London E1 8AA
Website: http://www.fightforsight.org.uk

SOURCE Vision Direct Europe Limited