"The campaign is off to a fantastic start thanks to our very kind and generous customers bringing in their old glasses. We are going to keep collecting glasses!'"
Store director Edwin Shield
AN optician in St Annes has thanked customers for donating over 600 pairs of their old, unused glasses during the last 2 months, as part of a charity campaign to help people in Africa to see more clearly.
Founded in 1985, Vision Aid Overseas has been helping some of the poorest people in the world to see properly for more than 30 years. The charity’s mission is to enable people living in poverty to access affordable glasses and eyecare.
All the collected glasses are recycled and the money made is used to help provide optical services in developing countries.
Working with Vision Aid Overseas, staff and customers at Specsavers in St Annes have shown their generosity by bringing old glasses to the store for donation over the past two months.
Store director Edwin Shield, says: ‘The campaign is off to a fantastic start thanks to our very kind and generous customers bringing in their old glasses. We are going to keep collecting glasses for the foreseeable future as every single pair will make a difference.
‘In a country where opticians’ services are readily available, such as the UK, it is easy to take our vision for granted. In poorer parts of the world where people don’t have access to eyecare services, these donations and Vision Aid Overseas can make a significant impact on people’s lives.’
VAO has been Specsavers international eyecare charity since 2008. The group has raised over £600,000 for Zambian eye care including an optometry technologists training course at the Chainama College of Health Sciences in Lusaka, 10 staffed vision centres across Zambia and a national eyecare outreach programme.
To book your next appointment at Specsavers in St Annes visit: www.specsavers.com/stannes
