Generous customers share store’s vision
SPECSAVERS in Southport and Formby have thanked customers for donating more than 18,000 of their old, unused glasses this year, as part of a charity campaign to help people in Africa to see more clearly.
The Southport store had 14,000 donations during 2017, while Formby were able to donate over 4,000 pairs to the charity.
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 Formby and Specsavers Southport have shown their generosity by bringing a record-number of old glasses to the store for donation over the past year.
Southport store director, Victoria Dunn, says: “The campaign this year has been a massive suc- cess thanks to our very kind and generous customers bringing in their old glasses.
“Every single one 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 make an appointment with Specsavers Southport call 01704 501944 or visit www.specsavers. co.uk/stores/southport or to book an appointment with the Formby team call 01704 832311 or visit www. specsavers. co. uk/ stores/ formby