A message from chairwoman, Katy Newitt ...

It is with much regret I am writing to tell you that Foresight will be closing in December.  I want to thank you sincerely for helping us make a lasting legacy to the worldwide search for a cure for hereditary eye disease and all our other achievements. Our golf tournament on the 10th December will be our last event and we hope it will help us to reach our goal of raising over 1.5 million dirhams dedicated to world-leading retinal research.

Why is Foresight closing?

It's been a tough decision to make. The long term aim of Foresight was to build on its strengths and the fantastic goodwill of the community, but recently we have faced a lot of uncertainty caused by factors outside our control.  The current economic climate and changes in laws which affect our legal position mean our future ability to raise funds is uncertain.  There was a risk that we might not be able to dedicate a high enough percentage of the funds raised through your support, as we have in the past, to our primary aim of funding retinal research.  I personally felt that this was not a risk that I could endorse.  Also, I have not been able to attend many of our events due to increased time out of the U.A.E. where I have been trying to improve my own working and mobility skills including receiving training in Braille and ICT.  Closing now means that we are giving an incredible amount to retinal research and can be rightly proud of all you've helped us to achieve.

Many Thanks...

Foresight was started by a great team of people as a fundraising support group for my 2005 London Marathon challenge to help fund research into a cure for hereditary eye disease.  Who could have predicted then what we would achieve with the most amazing support from our community:

• Funding or co-funding 5 world-leading research projects to the total of almost 1.5 million dirhams including a break-through gene-therapy project for LCA.
• Running a series of mobility training courses, including white cane training, in the UAE.  The value of mobility training now has greater recognition within other organisations catering for the needs of visually impaired people.  
• Regular support groups in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi for people who are losing their sight.  These will continue to be run by the members.
• Distributing accessible, up to date information about hereditary eye disease in Arabic and English to people with sight loss and their families.
• Raising awareness of the devastating impact of sight loss on people's lives, the vital role that research has to play and the importance of having a regular eye examination.
• Bringing some of the foremost researchers in the world of retinal research to the Emirates Ophthalmology Congress 2008.
• Proposing and lobbying for a register of people who are blind and visually impaired in the UAE.
• Running inclusive events that could be enjoyed by sighted and visually impaired people.

The Foresight team will be happy to answer any questions you may have.  I will be back in Dubai on 15th December if you want to contact me directly plus I will try to answer as many e-mails as I can.

I would like to thank you once again, most sincerely, for all your tremendous support,

Katy Newitt