Standard Chartered charitable initiative

KATHMANDU, May 10: 

Liverpool FC´s main sponsor Standard Chartered Bank replaced its logo on the team´s shirts with the logo of ´Seeing is Believing´ to raise awareness about avoidable blindness. 

In its global charitable initiative aimed at tackling avoidable blindness, Standard Chartered swapped the logo during Liverpool´s English Premier League match against Chelsea on Tuesday for the first time to raise funds for the cause, reads a press statement released by the bank. 

The limited edition shirts will be signed by the club´s players and offered to fans across Standard Chartered´s international network to raise money for ´Seeing is Believing´. Every dollar raised will be matched by the bank.

“The Liverpool-Chelsea game will be viewed by millions globally, making this a great opportunity to raise awareness of Seeing is Believing and avoidable blindness,” said Richard Meddings, group finance director at Standard Chartered and chairman of Seeing is Believing, on the eve of the match.

“When we began our sponsorship, we knew that Standard Chartered and Liverpool FC would be a perfect match, but now Seeing is Believing and Liverpool FC are proving to be the perfect match too. All money raised through the shirts will go directly to delivering eye care projects in underprivileged communities.”

The press statement further says that there are 39 million blind people worldwide, yet in eight out of ten cases, blindness can be prevented or treated. The majority of avoidable blindness - 90 per cent of cases - occurs in the developing world affecting economic productivity in communities where Standard Chartered operates. As one of the most cost-effective health interventions (cataract operations cost as little as USD30), tackling avoidable blindness was identified as an issue where Standard Chartered could make a clear impact.

Source: Republica