Charnwood Borough Council - Leading in Leicestershire

Mayor of Charnwood, Councillor Joe Tormey, will be learning more about eye health on Tuesday 26th June when he put on his sunglasses to join in with The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association's Shades Day and meets local resident Penny Hefferan with her Guide dog. They will accompany the Mayor around the Market Place to highlight the importance of Guide Dogs and explain some of the problems they can encounter. This is to co-incide with the Shades Day campaign which highlights the need to protect your eyesight, especially in the bright sunlight.

The Mayor will join thousands of young people and adults all over the country, who will put on their shades and sun visors or sun hats to raise awareness of the need to protect their eyes when outside during the day. It is very important for everyone, particularly children, to protect their eyes from the sun by wearing shades and/or a visor or hat. Exposure to sunlight can lead to certain eye conditions such as cataracts or Age related Macular Degeneration developing.

Research has shown that spending five or more hours outside every day in the summertime during your teens and early adult years increases your risk of long-term damage to the eyes.

Councillor Tormey said: “Shades Day is a fantastic way to both raise awareness for Guide Dogs and to highlight the importance of wearing your sunglasses!”

Guide dog owner, and Guide Dogs’ Director of Public Policy and Development, Tom Pey, said: “Educating people in how to protect their sight is important, and one simple way to keep eyes healthy is to wear your sunglasses. If you are outside and the light is so bright that you have to squint or turn your head away, then you know you have to put on your shades.

“Sunglasses don’t have to be expensive to be effective. Experts recommend wraparound-style sunglasses marked with Type 2 or 3 and with a CE symbol. To cut out the most damaging blue light, it’s best to choose shades with yellowish or amber lenses.”

To find out more about Shades Day, please visit the website www.shadesday.org.uk or phone 0845 600 6787 to receive Guide Dogs’ free fundraising and information pack.