The money will be used to fund an investigation into the causes of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) in the UK, and to improve eye-care services in South Africa. Both projects will involve the joint facilities and expertise of London's Moorfields Eye Hospital and the Institute of Ophthalmology. More than &\#163;150,000 has been allocated to set up a three-year laboratory-based project to understand the development of ARMD, believed to be the most common cause of blindness and partial sight. Three health centres in South Africa serving a population of 5.5m will benefit from a grant worth more than &\#163;300,000. It will be used to introduce a telemedicine programme - the practice of medicine at a distance - which will enable patients to receive advice from specialists at Moorfields. The charity will take responsibility for the project's overall management, and Dr Claire Walker, Fight for Sight director, will visit South Africa next month to gain first-hand experience of the project's progress.