DONATE

Sightsavers Ireland launches fundraising expedition to the Arctic

July 2022
The sun rises on the horizon over a snowy expanse. On the left, there are bare trees and a river with floating ice chunks.
A small group will travel from Tromsø to watch the first sunrise of the new year.

Winter in the Arctic means months of darkness. But each January, the first sunrise of the year is a breathtaking event that heralds the start of spring.

Now Sightsavers Ireland’s First Light for Sight sunrise expedition is giving you the chance to experience this once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.

In 2023, Sightsavers Ireland is celebrating 20 years of protecting and restoring sight in the countries where we work. To mark the anniversary, we’re running a series of special initiatives to commemorate the incredible impact our supporters have helped us make.

We’re inviting a small group of explorers to join us on an expedition to the Arctic in January, to celebrate all the sunrises made possible by sight-saving operations. We’ve teamed up with our partner Adventure.ie for this unique trip, which will see you challenging yourself to survive in extreme Arctic conditions, travelling across snow and ice by skis or snowshoes to reach a remote log cabin and possibly even seeing the Northern Lights.

Want to join us on this adventure? You can attend our online briefing session on 27 July, which will be organised by the Sightsavers Ireland team and Adventure.ie. You’ll be able to find out more about the itinerary, fundraising target and the support available to help you meet your goal. To register your interest in joining the briefing, contact Lauren or Ciara for more information by emailing [email protected] or calling 01 6637666.

A long line of people using skis trek across a frozen landscape. In the background, the sun is setting over some fir trees.

The First Light for Sight sunrise challenge

The expedition will teach supporters the survival skills they need to reach the Arctic Circle.

About the challenge

Read all our latest news stories

News from Sightsavers
Two young girls talk to each other in a playground. One of the girls has a physical disability and is using a wheelchair.

Global Disability Summit 2025: Sightsavers calls for stronger commitment to inclusion

Sightsavers will host two events and two exhibition spaces at the event in Berlin on 2-3 April, calling on attendees to join us in targeting inequality.

March 2025
Minahil, who wears spectacles, smiles broadly as she sits at her classroom desk.

Sightsavers at the CIES education conference 2025

We’re attending the conference in Chicago on 22-26 March to share Sightsavers’ expertise, engage with the education community and explore how we can help to transform inclusive education.

March 2025
Sightsavers’ programme officer Salome Njeri Mbugua-Mutua receives the award on stage alongside two academy instructors.

Sightsavers’ IT Bridge Academy wins top-performing academy award

The IT Bridge Academy, which supports young people with disabilities to train for a career in IT, received the accolade from technology company Cisco.

February 2025