A COUPLE who have been lifelong visitors to Anglesey have raised £8,000 for a blindness charity, despite only being halfway through their 250 mile trek around the island and the Lleyn Peninsula.

Patrick and Sue Franklin, who have been visiting Rhosneigr for over thirty years, have been donning their walking boots to raise vital funds for the British Council for Prevention of Blindness (BCPB).

The pair are currently at the midway point of their challenge, but they have already smashed their initial fundraising target of £2,000.

Patrick, who is turning 60 this month says he couldn’t let that significant milestone pass without doing something special to help mark it.

“Sight is probably our most important sense and one I feel is so widely taken for granted," he said.

"I am fortunate enough to have travelled widely and seen some amazing sights in my lifetime.

"Of course, it’s also just as amazing to see the most banal things, imagine doing the washing up without sight.

"Yet many round the world suffer from blindness, which given the right means is often curable, this is why I am raising much needed funds for BCPB.”

The BCPB are a small charity that was established in 1976.

They fund international research into blindness, support prevention projects in the world’s poorest communities and help doctors from developing countries access training that translates into life-changing treatments in their home countries.

Emma McGuigan BCPB’s Fundraising Manager said: "The money raised by Patrick and Sue will give our work a much needed boost.

Being a small charity it is always a struggle, but hearing about the Grandad who saw his grandchildren for the first time because of our work or the child that will now be able to attend school because they had their eye problem detected and dealt with quickly, keeps us going. Having the support from people like Patrick and Sue spurs us on even more and we are extremely grateful to them and those who have supported them.”

If you would like to get behind Patrick and Sue and show your support please visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/60onthemove