Orbis UK
964. Polly Holt
Polly Holt, from London, is a talented illustrator and designer who volunteered her skills to bring Orbis UK's ‘Vision for Zambia’ campaign to life.
Polly supported a team of just three people, significantly boosting their capacity by creating graphics, films and other materials for what became the charity’s biggest ever campaign. The campaign raised £1.9 million, funding a three-year project in Zambia which is training 300 ophthalmic specialists, 1,300 health workers and screening 70,000 children in rural Zambia.
Polly is one of six volunteers specially recognised to coincide with the Global Disability Summit, co-hosted by the UK’s Department for International Development with the International Disability Alliance and the Government of Kenya and taking place on the 24 July at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. The summit will bring together leaders from the private sector, governments, donor agencies and charities to raise awareness and show a commitment to transform the lives of people with disabilities.
As part of the build-up to the summit, Polly was invited to a roundtable hosted at the Department for International Development by Lord Bates, Minister of State for International Development, where she was also presented with her award.
In a personal letter to Polly, Prime Minister Theresa May said:
“By volunteering your creative skills you supported ‘Orbis Charitable Trust’ to create an award winning campaign that raised over £1 million and transformed the lives of children in rural Zambia.”
Polly said:
“Wow thank you, what an honour. ‘Orbis UK’ has such a positive impact on the world, and being part of that team brings me such joy, motivation, achievement, laughter, wellbeing… so many things come from volunteering, it’s a reward in itself!”
Watch a video from 2015 by ‘Orbis UK’ designed by Polly: