Rose Earnshaw: An inspirational 8-year-old’s epic challenge
In August 2025, 8-year-old Rose Earnshaw, from Lancaster, is taking on a challenge like no other – completing 5 laps of her local village park (1 mile) every day throughout the month of August, in support of Retina UK’s vital work.
Rose’s mum, Rachel, shared: “Our family has a connection to inherited sight loss, primarily Stargardt’s disease and we wanted to support Retina UK as we have a keen interest in supporting the ground-breaking research that they fund. We did our own research and saw the amazing work that the charity funds, especially around gene therapies. We have found the incredible support from our loved ones amazing. By taking on this challenge, it has opened up conversations around the disease and we are proud to be raising awareness as well as funds.”
Stargardt’s disease is a rare, inherited eye condition affecting the macula, the central part of the retina responsible for sharp, detailed vision. It leads to progressive vision loss, typically starting in childhood or adolescence. In the UK, it affects approximately one in 10,000 people and Retina UK supports those affected. While it impairs central vision, it usually does not lead to complete blindness, with peripheral vision often remaining intact.
James Clarke, Head of Income Generation at Retina UK, said: “We are so grateful to Rose and her family for supporting Retina UK during our special 50th anniversary year! The incredible amount that they have raised so far will make such a tangible difference and we will be cheering Rose on as she completes her challenge on 31 August 2025.”
On why they would encourage others to support Retina UK, Rachel shared: “It’s an interesting and exciting time to support the charity. We’re seeing so many new developments in research, and we’re incredibly proud that our support is helping to drive this important work forward.”
To sponsor Rose during her challenge, please visit https://superkind.org/fundraiser/running-challenge and if you’re feeling inspired to support Retina UK and would like to support the charity during its 50th anniversary year, please get in touch with James Clarke on 07736 925174 or [email protected].
Rose Earnshaw.
“It’s an interesting and exciting time to support the charity."Rachel Earnshaw.