By walking a mile and a half a day, High Barnet store director raises over £1,000 for cataract operations by Sightsavers charity

A familiar face in Barnet High Street, Pragna Raghwani, who is store director at Specsavers, has raised well over £1,000 for the international medical health charity Sightsavers.

She spent a month walking a total of 100 miles – by completing a mile and a half early each morning before work – as her way of attracting donations towards Sightsavers’ mission to provide cataract operations across Africa and Asia.

Partly blind herself, Pragna says that what she has found so satisfying during almost 20 years at Specsavers’ branch in High Barnet, has been her ability to support and advise customers who are also visually impaired.

Pragna was diagnosed with normal tension glaucoma in 2010. Despite undergoing four eye operations, she has lost her sight in the left eye and has only 30 per cent vision in her right eye.

“As someone who lives with visual impairment, I know about the problems first hand and how life changing it can be.

“Over the years I have been able to help lots of customers in High Barnet who are also partially sighted, and the work is very rewarding.”

After previously being store director for Specsavers at Borehamwood, Pragna became store director at High Barnet in 2007 and has built up connections and friendships with other traders and businesses in the High Street.

Pragna has won recognition for her contribution to optical and audiological care. She has been an examiner, mentor, and coach for the Association of British Dispensing Chemists and was Specsavers ambassador during Glaucoma Week.

Her voluntary work includes taking part in local school career fairs where she engages with teenagers and young adults interested in pursuing careers as opticians and audiologists.

Her challenge to raise money for Sightsavers had the support of donations from friends, family, colleagues and local supporters and contributions are continuing to add to the £1,000-plus already collected.

“To complete the 100 miles within a month, I walked a mile and a half every morning between 6am and 7.30am in my local park at Kingsbury.

“My son bought me a pedometer, so I have been able to count the steps and make sure I walked the right distance every say.”

She wanted to support Sightsavers because of what she says is the “incredible work” the charity does in providing life-changing cataract operations in Africa and Asia.