A surge of support for National Eye Health Week has seen organisations across the optical sector and beyond backing the campaign to raise awareness of eye health and the need for regular sight tests.

A raft of sign-ups including Pfizer, Allergan, the College of Optometrists, Specsavers, SeeAbility and Vitabiotics Visionace has demonstrated the breadth of appeal of this year’s campaign theme, ‘I Care About Eyecare’.

Celebrities affected by eye-related conditions are also lending their weight to the cause. Actress Phyllida Law, Adrian Mole author Sue Townsend and Paralympian Ian Rose are all supporting the week.

The organisers are appealing to what they describe as the ‘watchers and waiters’ to get on board now, or miss out on the benefits of leveraging the PR campaign, which has already started.

The campaign includes: a nationwide survey to drive national and regional media interest; a series of public engagement events celebrating the ‘superhero status’ of opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists; a quirky social media campaign on Facebook and Twitter inviting the public to celebrate the vision they love the most; plus competitions, features and a radio day.

David Scott-Ralphs, chairman of National Eye Health Week, said: “This is a campaign organised by the sector, for the sector, and if you’re not on board, you should seriously be asking ‘why not’? Coming together en masse is the most effective way of getting this important message across to the public. Whether you’re a household brand, small business or not-for-profit organisation, everyone can get involved.”

The awareness week is driven by a steering group of vision charities, optical bodies and providers who have united to tackle the health time bomb of sight loss. The RNIB estimates that of the 1.8 million people in the UK experiencing sight loss, 53 per cent of these cases are avoidable with regular sight tests and the dispensing of spectacles. Eye-related problems are also set to soar as the population demographic ages.

A limited number of gold, silver and bronze sponsorship packages are still available. Top sponsors will have the opportunity to own specific parts of the PR campaign, or target key markets such as older people or parents.

In a bid to make the Week as inclusive as possible, a ‘Friends’ package, priced from just £100, is also available ensuring that organisations of any size and budget can get involved. Only micro-charities and NHS organisations will be exempt from charges.

To find out more about sponsorship, visit http://www.visionmatters.org.uk/smartweb/friends-and-sponsorship/friends-and-sponsorship