CBeebies to mark World Sight Day
HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh is a global ambassador for the IAPB (image: BBC/Guy Levy)
In a special CBeebies Bedtime Story airing on World Sight Day (10 October), HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh will read Specs for Rex written by Yasmin Ismail. The story is about a young lion who embraces his new spectacles, helping children understand that wearing spectacles can be fun and essential for school, play and safety.
Her Royal Highness joins past readers, including the Princess of Wales, Harry Styles, Billie Eilish and Kate Winslet, sharing stories on the popular CBeebies Bedtime Story.
The programme is part of the International Association for the Prevention of Blindness’s (IAPB) efforts to ensure children and their parents understand the importance of eye health, getting regular eye examinations and breaking down the stigma that can be associated with wearing spectacles and eye patches.
In a trailer for the CBeebies programme, Her Royal Highness says: “Millions of us need glasses to see the world clearly. World Sight Day is a reminder to all of us to take care of our eyes, whether we need glasses or not. Our eyes are precious, and our sight is something to cherish and look after. So, let’s remember to take care of our eyes this World Sight Day.”
IAPB spokesperson, Simon Darvill, said: “We’re thrilled to have CBeebies and HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh shine a spotlight on children’s eye health for World Sight Day. I know myself how lovely it is to sit down as a family to watch the CBeebies bedtime story, and we hope that this special story will engage millions of families, shine a spotlight on the importance of eye care for children and encourage people to book that all important sight test.”
World Sight Day, organised by the IAPB, highlights the importance of eye health with the theme Love Your Eyes. This year, the campaign focuses on the need for regular eye tests and accessible eyecare for children everywhere.
As an IAPB global ambassador and advocate for global eye health, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh visited Tanzania in September to meet with officials and patients working to eliminate blinding trachoma in Tanzania.
The visit featured projects by UK based charity Sightsavers and drew attention to the fact that 1.1 billion people in the world have a treatable or preventable vision problem but do not have access to treatment.
CBeebies Bedtime Story 6.50pm, Thursday 10 October, CBeebies and BBC iPlayer.