I’m sure we’re all familiar with the TV adverts for People’s Postcode Lottery, with that catchy song and ambassadors in red jackets knocking on people’s doors to give them cheques for thousands of pounds.

But did you know that players of People’s Postcode Lottery also support charities, raising over £404 million for good causes across Great Britain since 2005?

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is the latest charity to benefit, receiving £1m just before Christmas – a wonderful gift to mark our 150th anniversary year.

I’m one of more than two million people living with sight loss here in the UK and I’m proud to be Chair of a charity that does so much to provide practical and emotional support to people when they need it most.

RNIB is here to lead the creation of a world without barriers where people can be who they want to be, rather than being defined by the disability they happen to have. But we can’t do this alone.

With the funding RNIB has received from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, we’ll be growing our Connect community which enables blind and partially sighted people to share experiences, advice and information with one another. This is a great way to overcome the isolation that many people feel.

We’ll also be developing our award-winning Connect Radio station and continuing our work to challenge the myths and misconceptions around sight loss.

We’d like to say a big thank you to all the players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Your support will make a huge difference to people affected by sight loss across Great Britain.

To find out more about RNIB’s partnership with People’s Postcode Lottery visit www.rnib.org.uk/peoplespostcodelottery

Yours sincerely,

Eleanor Southwood

Chair of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)