Rose Comber
3 April, 2025
News

Lancing runner tackles the London Marathon in aid of blindness prevention charity Orbis

On the 27th April, 48-year-old Tony Northeast from Lancing, West Sussex, will lace up his running shoes for a charity close to his heart: Orbis, who are preventing avoidable blindness worldwide. Tony, a Lead Product Owner for a healthcare technology company, will tackle his first London Marathon and first overall marathon to raise funds for the charity, who operate the world’s only fully accredited Flying Eye Hospital.

Tony Northeast Training for the London Marathon in Aid of International Eye Care Charity Orbis in April 2025

Tony hopes to raise £2500 by organising a raffle, a charity beard shave and is even planning on dying his hair blue for the race.

Orbis transforms lives through the prevention and treatment of avoidable blindness and visual impairment. For 1.1 billion people blindness or poor vision is a daily struggle—often because they simply don’t have access to the care they need. A colossal 90% of cases are avoidable and found in low- and middle-income countries. Working across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, through their unique Flying Eye Hospital, long term programmes, and dedicated training for local eye teams, Orbis doesn’t just restore sight—they give people back their independence, their educations and their livelihoods.

The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital
The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital Credit: Geoff Oliver Bugbee / Orbis

Tony says: “The company I work for has been working with Orbis for a number of years now, providing training simulations, so I am very familiar with the amazing work they do restoring people's sight and training local doctors to do the same so that even more people can get their sight back.”

Eye Surgery Performed On Board the Flying Eye Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia in 2023
Eye Surgery Performed On Board the Flying Eye Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia in 2023 Credit: Geoff Oliver Bugbee / Orbis

Fiona Lyons, Senior Fundraising Officer at Orbis, says: “We are so grateful to supporters like Tony who are committed to helping us tackle avoidable blindness by taking on challenge events like the London Marathon – which is no small feat! The funds generated through our marathon runners hard work will help to provide much needed eye care in the countries where we work, leading to a brighter future full of possibilities.”

Tony aims to complete the marathon in an impressive four hours and thirty minutes, running and strength training five times a week, and recommends eating a balanced diet with lots of nutrients.

A Patient On Board The Flying Eye Hospital in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in 2024
A Patient On Board The Flying Eye Hospital in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in 2024 Credit: Geoff Oliver Bugbee / Orbis

To help Tony to smash his fundraising target and help restore sight to even more people, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/tony-northeast