Two opticians from Blackwood have raised almost £3,000 for a charity that helps treat people without access to eyecare services.
James Morris, a principle optometrist, and in-store trainer Chris Padfield, travelled to the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa for the Great Ethiopian Run – the world’s highest altitude 10k race.
The men raised funds for Vision Aid Overseas (VAO), which provides accessible eyecare services for vulnerable children and adults in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Zambia.
The pair, who work at Specsavers in Blackwood, were among a group of 22 Specsavers staff from across the UK who took part in the race.
Mr Morris raised £1,395, while Mr Padfield totalled £1,490, thanks to donations from friends, family, colleagues and customers. Together, the 22 Specsavers runners raised more than £58,000.
Mr Morris said: “It’s not often you get the fly the flag for your town at such a high-profile event.
“It was a challenge to adapt to the environment and I struggled at times, but we were determined to finish it to make our training and fundraising worthwhile.
“Thanks to the generosity of the Blackwood public I raised nearly £1,500, which is all going towards a charity that offers jobs and vital eyecare facilities in some of the most remote areas of Africa.”