DEAR editor,

I am an ambassador of Sightsavers, the charity that works to prevent and cure blindness in developing countries. Sightsavers has pledged to make ‘A Million Miracles’ happen in some of the world’s poorest countries by raising enough to fund one million sight restoring operations, and I would love your readers have the chance to make a real difference to someone’s life this Christmas.

A cataract operation takes around 10 minutes and costs Sightsavers just £30. What’s more, until December 15 the UK Government is matching all donations to this appeal – doubling the impact of readers’ generosity.

I have been supporting Sightsavers for many years and have witnessed the incredible impact of the charity’s work first-hand in Bangladesh. There is nothing more awe-inspiring and actually tear-jerking than watching a child’s face the moment he sees his mother’s face for the first time.

These sight-saving operations are life-changing. So with this in mind, I would urge readers to help Sightsavers perform a Christmas miracle by donating £30, or whatever they can, and give the gift of sight at millionmiracles.org.

It would be a truly wonderful Christmas present: the chance to change the life of a perfect stranger for the better. Thank you so very much.

Joanna Lumley

Actress and Sightsavers ambassador