Thanks for clicking! As many of you know, my daughter Becky has glaucoma, so IGA (the International Glaucoma Association) is a charity close to my heart (and her eyes). She's had four operations in the past year, and that's only on the first eye. This is not normally something kids get, and it does not run in the family, so her diagnosis last year was a bit of a shock, and it is easy to worry about the future. Some people have asked if they can help... I'm hoping we can do this together.

What I am going to do is a sponsored slim (not swim). The idea is to focus on health, so don't expect any crash diets. If you are willing to sponsor me you can either give a one-off donation or give a small amount now to encourage me and pledge something for every pound I lose - this may be quite a lot because Becky is on my back (not literally, that would add too much to the scales). I am putting an upper limit of 52 (in pounds...lbs) on it, so that you know what the maximimum of money (in pounds...£) will be. Sounds optimistic, I know, but even if I only manage a couple of pounds, that'll still be a couple of pounds (if you know what I mean). I will keep evidence of what I lose, in case you want to check up on me. If you don't want to donate online, I have paper forms and you can also donate by text, just ask me for the number.

It's easy to donate online though and your details are safe – you won't get unwanted emails from anyone. Your money will go directly to the IGA, gift aid included. To finish off, here is some more info about the charity:

The International Glaucoma Association is a charity which raises awareness of glaucoma, promotes research related to early diagnosis and treatment and provides support to patients and carers. They fund a range of research projects to advance the knowledge of the causes of glaucoma and to develop more effective methods of diagnosis and treatment. They also provide information, advice and support through their telephone Sightline service, internet forum, leaflets and newsletters.

THANK YOU from Els and Becky