Hard-working Honiton charity fundraiser Leanne Greengrass takes the vision awareness charity she founded into its eighth year with renewed energy and determination to stress the importance of going to the optician.
Leanne, 37, a mother-of-two who works as a teaching assistant at Upottery Primary School, told the Midweek Herald this week about the plans she has this year for her charity, See the Future - Opening Eyes to a Better Health.
They include a showpiece event, her Autumnal Masquerade Ball, which will take place at Sandy Park, Exeter, at 7pm on October 1.
It is the second time Leanne has used the Exeter Chiefs Rugby Club venue. The Chiefs charity foundation is one of her charity’s treasured supporters.
The event includes a champagne reception, a three-course meal, live music, a live charity auction, magicians and a DJ. Tickets cost £45 a head or £40 each if you are part of a table of 10.
Leanne established her one-woman charity following her mum’s experience.
Leanne explained: “My mum went to her opticians and from there straight to hospital, where she was diagnosed with a rare eye cancer. And two weeks later she had her eye removed.”
Leanne’s mum lost her health battle when the cancer returned and affected her liver.
Since those tragic events, Leanne has raised thousands of pounds for vision awareness and has worked tirelessly to improve our understanding of the importance of going to the optician regularly.
She has written a children’s book designed to reassure youngsters about going to the optician and has worked with children at Upottery and at Littletown Primary in Honiton to help her make the book a reality. She invited pupils at the two schools to illustrate the characters in her book, which is called Having An Eye Test and involves animal characters.
Proceeds from the sales of the book will go in part to charity and also to the schools involved in its creation. And she is hoping to get more schools involved.
She stressed how much support she has received from the wider Honiton community.
“I have had so much support. Honiton people have been absolutely brilliant and I am so grateful,” she said.
Her latest project is a community cookbook, which as well as involving local restaurants, chefs, butchers and fishmongers with their recipes, aims to target people with impared vision and make it easier for them to read.
To support Leanne in her project work, you can email her: info@seethefuture.co.uk