A young optometrist from Wembley has helped raise £1,800 for an eye charity after successfully completing the Ealing Half Marathon.

Priya Morjaria, a 32-year-old optometrist studying for a PhD in Public Health, raised the funds by taking part in the Ealing Half Marathon on September 27 with her colleague, 45-year-old Robin Percy from Shepherd’s Bush, for the British Council for Prevention of Blindness (BCPB).

Priya has had a personal connection to eye health since growing up in Tanzania where her grandfather, who lived with her family, was blind due to a failed glaucoma operation.

She also faced eye problems herself as a child: “I was about seven when I was diagnosed as quite myopic.

“I was in school in Kenya when my teachers noticed that I wasn’t studying or doing any work and it turned out it was because I couldn’t see properly.

“I’m sure that’s had an influence on my work.”

Priya has been running regularly for many years and trains about four times a week, often completing about eight-10 miles in her local park in Wembley.

When she’s not running, she splits her time between the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine working on her PhD and doing vital research funded by BCPB into helping children in Bangladesh and Nepal who have poor vision following cataract surgery.

“I really love running”, says Priya, “it’s a brilliant feeling running for a good cause.

“I’m really pleased to have been able to raise funds for BCPB and am really looking forward to running for them again.”

The British Council for Prevention of Blindness funds research and training to prevent blindness in children and adults all over the world. The charity has reportedly already helped save the sight of around 4m people.