Eye charity fundraiser shortlisted for award

A man who responded to the news he may lose his sight by organising a celebrity-backed fundraising talent show has been shortlised for a Pride of Britain Award.

James Clarke, from Worksop in Nottinghamshire, was diagnosed with a rare eye condition called retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in September 2015.

He was immediately banned from driving, registered partially sighted and told he would go blind if a cure is not found.

Since then he has organised Worksop's Got Talent, which has been supported by James Corden and Boris Johnson, and raised more than £145,000 for Retina UK, which specialises in trying to find a cure.

The charity says people with RP experience a gradual decline in their vision as the two types of photoreceptor cells in the retina – rod and cone cells – die.

For the vast majority of those affected, there are no treatments that can effectively slow or stop the progression although research in this area has accelerated and potential therapies are at the clinical trial stage.

Mr Clarke said his diagnosis came as a complete shock.

"They just blindsided me - forgive the pun - and said I had this rare eye condition RP," he told the BBC.

"I was literally a few days from buying a brand new car, so they banned me from driving before I had even started, registered me as partially sighted and told me I would go blind.

"That was a day I will never forget."

Worksop's Got Talent has sold out for seven of its eight years and received video support from Piers Morgan and former Bassetlaw MP Brendan Clarke-Smith mentioned it in the House of Commons.

As well as direct endorsements, the condition has been highlighted by another celebrity

Mr Clarke said: "Chris McCausland, who is on Strictly at the moment, has also got RP and he is raising awareness of it.

"To see that kind of representation on one of the biggest TV shows in the country is just amazing and I want more of the same.

"I always strip it back and say 'What is more important than your eyesight?' and that really resonates with the celebrities and just the audience and people who want to get involved.

"Because I wasn't expecting to be told I was going I was going to go blind, so I just say to people 'Think if that was going to happen to you, how would you react?'."

Mr Clarke said he was particularly pleased the impact of the show went beyond the big night.

"Luckily I managed to channel it into a positive and created this show and everything that has happened since but it could easily have gone the other way," he said.

"It has been amazing because even though Worksop's Got Talent is just an annual event the people of Worksop support Retina UK throughout the year and there are bake sales and other things.

"And that's one of the most amazing things, is it's legacy and people love coming to it so it'll probably still be here for a few more years," he said.

Mr Clarke said he was proud to have been shortlisted for a Pride of Britain honour.

This year's winners are due to be announced in London on 21 October, with Worksop's Got Talent taking place at the North Notts Arena on 8 November.

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