Claire Hicks and her father, the late Sir John Wilson, have been awarded an acclaimed Beacon Prize for their work to combat blindness and needless disability in developing countries through the international charity SightSavers and the IMPACT programme.

Claire and Sir John have been named as the 2007 recipients of the prestigious prize in the category of Family Philanthropy and now join the ranks of previous Beacon Prize winners such as Sir Bob Geldof, Jamie Oliver and environmentalist Zac Goldsmith who have all been recognized for their charitable work through what has become known as the 'Nobel Prize of the charity world', first coined by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

They are among just 13 recipients of the 2007 Prize, all of whom were chosen for their exceptional philanthropic contribution through the giving of their time, money and skills in order to benefit specific charitable causes.

Sir John, himself blinded at the age of 12 by an accident at school, founded SightSavers in 1950 and ran the charity for 30 years. Inspired by this, his daughter Claire joined her father to form the IMPACT movement, a global initiative to prevent major causes of disability, which has facilitated 20 million interventions in 33 countries, including over 630,000 operations to restore sight, mobility or hearing.

Claire has continued her father's legacy both internationally and in the UK. Among her many innovations is 'Operation Cataract', which helped to shorten NHS hospital waiting lists during the 1980s and 1990s. Their combined passion for practical action has touched the lives of millions of people throughout the world, providing life-transforming operations to reverse disability for people who might otherwise not have been able to access appropriate medical care.

Beacon's Chairman Martyn Lewis said: "We are delighted to award a Beacon Prize to Claire and her late father Sir John. Their story is a fantastic example of how two generations can inspire each other to achieve. Literally tens of thousands of lives have been transformed thanks to the combined drive and commitment of father and daughter."

The Prize Ceremony took place on 22nd November at The Banqueting House, Whitehall, when 13 winners were inaugurated as Beacon Fellows, a community of Beacon Prize winners who together, champion charitable causes across the globe and nurture a wider culture of giving in the UK.

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For further information on the Beacon Prize, winners' biographies and photos of the 2007 award recipients or on The Beacon Fellowship Charitable Trust contact Fintan Nicholls on 0207 203 8295 or email fintan.nicholls@beaconfellowship.org.uk