Celebrities & ambassadors
A much-loved and respected celebrity has the ability to influence not only his or her own fans but also opinion formers - the politicians and policy makers who we are trying to make sit up and take notice.
Of course, choosing the right star name can be a bit of a minefield; we need to be sure that anyone acting as a Sightsavers ambassador and role model is genuinely passionate about our work.
That's why we prefer to work with figureheads who either have a first-hand experience of what it is to be blind - such as Amadou and Mariam or Debra Winger - or of one of the countries where we work (such as India, where Joanna Lumley was born).
Sunetra Sarker
With a name that means ‘eyes that see beautiful things’, Casualty and No Angels actress Sunetra jumped at the opportunity to support Sightsavers.
Amadou & Mariam
World music superstars and Sightsavers ambassadors Amadou and Mariam have been hitting the headlines in the music press as their eagerly awaited album ‘Welcome to Mali’ is released.
Debra Winger
It was the overwhelming statistic that 75% of the 37 million people in the world who are blind could be cured or prevented, that moved the triple Oscar nominated actress Debra Winger to become an ambassador for Sightsavers in 2003.
Gordon Ramsay
Genuinely moved by the fact that vitamin A deficiency is one of the major causes of childhood blindness around the world; Gordon Ramsay became a Sightsavers ambassador.
Graeme Le Saux
A passionate advocate for the work of Sightsavers, Graeme Le Saux became an ambassador in 1997 when we approached him at the peak of his Chelsea career.
Haydn Gwynne
Star of the small screen and theatre Haydn Gwynne became involved with our work in 2004, following her decision to leave popular TV drama Merseybeat a year previously, to concentrate on family life.
Joanna Lumley
The model turned actress Joanna Lumley contacted us in 1997, touched by a Sightsavers appeal she had seen in a newspaper: "Learning the staggering statistic that 75% of the world's blindness is avoidable or curable, I knew I had to get involved," she said.
