Member Article

Specsavers customers across Greater Manchester help provide sight for Africa

Specsavers stores across Greater Manchester are thanking customers for a fantastic 10,000 pairs of glasses being donated throughout 2019.

Shoppers have donated thousands of glasses since January 2019 as part of Specsavers’ 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 Runcorn and Widnes have shown their generosity by bringing a record-number of old glasses to the store for donation since the start of the year.

Amanda Pedder, retail director at Specsavers stores in Wythenshawe, Swinton and Fallowfield, says: ’The campaign has been a massive success so far this year, thanks to our very kind and generous customers bringing in their old glasses. Every single one will make a difference.

Steven Dare, retail director at Specsavers stores in Urmston, Altrincham & Sale, continued: ‘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.’

Specsavers stores participating in the scheme include Manchester Arndale, Manchester Fort, Harpurhey, Openshaw, Wythenshawe, Swinton, Fallowfield, Eccles, Rochdale, Oldham, Royton, Altrincham, Salford, Sale & Urmston.

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.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Katie Rattigan .