'Seeing is Believing' activities kick off
Liverpool FC and Standard Chartered are teaming up for the next fortnight to host a series of activities raising awareness of 'Seeing is Believing', the bank's global charitable initiative that aims to tackle avoidable blindness.
This is the fourth consecutive year in which the club has joined forces with its main sponsor to generate support and funds for a campaign designed to transform the lives of children and adults around the world.
There are 39 million blind people worldwide, yet in eight out of 10 cases blindness can be prevented or treated, with simple treatments and affordable surgeries benefiting not only those who receive care but also their families.
It is one of the most cost-effective health interventions - a cataract operation, for example, costs as little as £20 - and Standard Chartered has been supporting the cause and helping to make an impact for more than a decade.
90 per cent of avoidable blindness occurs in the developing world, where the organisation operates.
A precursor to the planned events saw Liverpool quartet Steven Gerrard, Adam Lallana, Simon Mignolet and Mamadou Sakho welcome members of Merseyside Blind FC to Melwood for a unique training session.
In the week ahead, a special infographic will outline the important achievements of 'Seeing is Believing', fans will have the chance to win a signed shirt, we will reflect on the Reds' support for the initiative so far and much more.
The team will then switch the Standard Chartered logo on their shirt for 'Seeing is Believing' when Tottenham Hotspur visit Anfield in the Barclays Premier League on Tuesday February 10 - the fourth time this logo swap has taken place to help raise awareness and funds for 'Seeing is Believing'.
Five limited edition player jerseys will then be signed and made available for fans to bid on in a week-long charity eBay auction, with all donations matched by Standard Chartered to make this fixture the 'Perfect Match'.
David Fein, group general counsel at Standard Chartered and the chairman of 'Seeing is Believing', said: "The support that our 'Seeing is Believing' initiative receives year on year from the club and its fans is truly amazing.
"In the past three years alone, more than £220,000 has been raised from our 'Perfect Match' games in partnership with LFC.
"These funds really do have a life-changing effect on many people's lives around the world by helping to prevent or treat avoidable blindness."
Billy Hogan, chief commercial officer at Liverpool, added: "'Seeing is Believing' is such a fantastic initiative and we as a club are proud to use our global profile and fanbase to help raise awareness and funds for its life-changing work to continue.
"With the ongoing support and generosity of our fans I believe that this year's 'Perfect Match' will be another success and surpass the previous three seasons."
For more information on the 'Seeing is Believing' initiative and to make a donation now, click here to visit the campaign's official website.