Our vice presidents and ambassadors take a lead role in promoting Fight for Sight. They regularly host events that raise funds and awareness and use their voice to support us in our vision to save sight and change lives. We are very grateful for the continued kindness of our vice presidents and ambassadors, and proud to have such a committed group of supporters.
Vice President
Cherie Blair is a leading barrister with over 35 years’ experience. She studied law at the London School of Economics (LSE) and is the Founder and Chair of the pioneering law firm Omnia Strategy where she focuses on cross-border dispute resolution, commercial arbitration, mediation and human rights. Cherie has represented over 30 countries as well as dozens of multinationals.
She is a strong advocate for women’s rights and in 2008 she founded the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, to promote the financial independence of women in low and middle income countries. Since then, the Foundation has had a significant and measurable impact on the lives of more than 140,000 women entrepreneurs in 105 countries especially in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
In 2013, she was awarded the CBE in the New Year Honours for her services to women’s issues and to charity in the UK and overseas. Cherie is also an active campaigner on equality and human rights issues and is committed to changing society so that disabled people and their families can have the same opportunities as everyone else. As such she is a long-standing supporter of Vision Foundation and has served as Vice-President for over a decade.
Cherie has published three non-fiction books including her bestselling autobiography “Speaking for Myself”. Cherie is wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and they have four children and two grandchildren.
Vice President
David Blunkett was awarded a peerage in the dissolution Honours List in 2015, taking the title of Lord Blunkett, of Brightside and Hillsborough in the City of Sheffield. David was Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough 1987-2015, and a member of Tony Blair’s Cabinet for eight years from 1997. He served as Education and Employment Secretary, Home Secretary and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
He is currently a Professor of Politics in Practice at the University of Sheffield, Chair of the Board of the University of Law, Chair of the Heathrow Implementation Steering Group and involved in a range of voluntary and charitable organisations locally and nationally.
He is an avid supporter of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club.
Married, with four sons and three step daughters, he enjoys the countryside, reading and good food.
Vice President
Sir John entered the House of Commons in 1979, and Government in 1983. He joined the Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 1987; was appointed Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in July 1989; and Chancellor of the Exchequer in October 1989.
Sir John was appointed Prime Minister on November 28, 1990 and served in that position until May 1997. As Prime Minister, Sir John focused his efforts upon securing peace in Northern Ireland and upholding Britain’s position in the world community as a political, social and economic leader. He was Prime Minister throughout the first Gulf War and, at home, instigated long-term reforms in education, health and public services.
Sir John retired from Parliament at the UK General Election in May 2001. His business interests include Senior Advisor to Credit Suisse; and Chairman of the Advisory Board of Global Infrastructure Management. He chairs the Campaign Board of King’s London; is a Joint President of Chatham House; and Patron or President of a number of UK and international charities.
In October 2011, Sir John was appointed Chairman of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, a Commonwealth-wide initiative which was established to create a lasting legacy to Her Majesty’s 60 years as Sovereign.
On New Year’s Day 1999, HM The Queen appointed Sir John a Companion of Honour in recognition of his initiation of the Northern Ireland Peace Process; and on St George’s Day 2005, a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. In 2012, he was awarded The Grand Cordon of The Rising Sun by The Emperor of Japan.
Lord Low, who has been blind since the age of three, has been a lifelong campaigner for the rights of blind and disabled people for which he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2000.
After starting his career as a lecturer in Law and Criminology at Leeds University, Lord Low then became Director of the Greater London Council’s Disability Resource Team.
From 2000 to 2009 he served as Chair of RNIB in addition to being President of the European Blind Union from 2003 to 2011. Lord Low has been a crossbench member of the House of Lords since June 2006 when he was created a life peer as Baron Low of Dalston.
Vice President
Frances Segelman FRSA MRSS aka Lady Petchey is one of the most successful professional sculptors in Britain and is well known for her sculptures of the Royal Family.
Born in Leeds, Frances Segelman is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors and a Liveryman of Painters and Stainers Livery Company.
An established sculptor of personalities from the world of entertainment, politics and sport. Frances is particularly well known for her sculptures of the Royal Family. These include busts of HM The Queen, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, HRH The Prince of Wales, HRH The Princess Royal, HRH The Duke of Kent and HRH The Countess of Wessex. Other recent commissions include Sir Simon Rattle, Dame Joan Collins, Lord Julian Fellowes, Boris Johnson and Joanna Lumley.
Often working in front of an audience, Frances is a fast and naturally creative sculptor. Inspired by Michelangelo, Frances has dedicated herself to creating bronze busts of her subjects which capture their immediacy and likeness. Her creations are realistic sculptures with a purity that invites the viewer to ponder on the face and inner thoughts that emanate from the work, the eyes, the faint lines on the skin. Her busts provide a classic vision of harmony and peace.
Vice President
Marsha is MP for Battersea, Balham and Wandsworth and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Eye Health and Visual Impairment.
She has a proud history of working in the voluntary sector for over 10 years before becoming an MP. Marsha was born with nystagmus and is registered blind. She has dedicated much of her life to campaigning for disability rights and is passionate about equality for all.
We are grateful to have her as a member of our Social Impact Grants Assessment Panel (SGAP).
Vice President
Prem is the Alderman of Portsoken Ward, where Fight for Sight is based. He supports the Lord Mayor in promoting the City of London globally. He is also the Chair of the City of London Chamber, and an NED of Greengage.
Prem chose to represent Fight for Sight as a Vice President because he knows first-hand how vision loss can impact families.
Ambassador
Fight for Sight is delighted to have Gemma Owen as our Young Ambassador. Gemma, 20, is an international dressage rider, business owner, and TV personality, who uses her profile to raise awareness of sight loss.
Sight loss is close to the heart's of Gemma and her family (she is the daughter of football legend Michael Owen). Gemma’s brother lives with the rare, degenerative eye condition called Stargardt macular dystrophy (or Stargardt disease).
Ambassador
Visual Artist, Clarke Reynolds, works with Braille, the tactile coding system made up of a six dot cell allows people with low vision to read.
Over the past five years Clarke has been exploring Braille as a visual language having multiple solo exhibitions including a solo show in London's Grove Gallery.
"I’m so honoured to be an ambassador for Fight for Sight. The charity has been there at the very start of my career in fact if it wasn’t for them I don’t believe I would be getting the exposure I am today.
The connection and friendship built up over the years has been a special one. As an ambassador I feel we can cement the relationship further as I break down the stigma attached to sight loss in the visual arts. Here’s to smashing down those walls."
Ambassador
Katie, finance student, model and influencer, was diagnosed with retinoblastoma (a rare type of eye cancer affecting the retina, the eye’s light sensitive layer) aged 4.
Katie is committed to sharing her personal experience to raise awareness of our work and to help make a difference to others facing similar challenges.
“My goal is to help people young and old feel more confident in themselves and in their bodies, and to help prevent bullying.”
Ambassador
Amun, a registered blind head pastry chef at art'otel in Shoreditch, London, has honed his craft in some of the city's most prestigious hotels.
Amun shares:
"Eight years ago, if someone told me I’d still be working as a pastry chef, doing what I love, I wouldn’t have believed them. The challenges have been immense—losing my sight, the life I knew, enduring countless eye operations, and unimaginable pain. But step by step, I’ve fought my way through.
Today, I am proud to say that while I’m registered blind, the disease is gone, and my eyes are stable. I use my craft to keep moving forward, and now, as an Ambassador, I’m honoured to support Fight for Sight in its mission to Save Sight. Change Lives. If my story can inspire others and raise awareness of vision loss, then I will feel my journey has been worth it."
HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh was our Royal Patron from 2003 - 2024. The Duchess is an ardent supporter of people with vision loss in the UK and across the Commonwealth.
To ensure her support reaches an international scale, The Duchess is Global Ambassador for the IAPB, and through this patronage she continues to support our work.
