Vision Express has made a milestone donation, with 15,000 frames donated to Vision Aid Overseas – taking the total number of frames gifted by the national optical retailer to almost a quarter of a million.
Over the past 15 years, Vision Express has donated around 15,000 frames a year to the charity, as part of an ongoing programme that sees stores across the country accept and recycle customers’ old glasses, to help people living in poverty access affordable glasses and eye care.
Vision Aid Overseas, founded in 1985, provides a sustainable solution that delivers affordable eye care services to those in need, including low cost glasses and locally trained eye care workers. The donated glasses are recycled for their precious metal content and the income generated is used to support the charity’s work overseas, in countries such as Ghana, Zambia and Ethiopia.
The donation is the latest in a long line of charitable initiatives led by Vision Express, with its charity partnerships earning recognition at industry awards such as the national 2017 Marketing and PR Brilliance Awards and the CIPR Midlands PRide Awards.
Vision Express director of professional services, Jay Ghadiali said: “We’re proud to be able to give the gift of sight to vulnerable people overseas. We partner with UK charities including the International Glaucoma Association and the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust, but being part of the global Grandvision optical retail group, we have always maintained an international outlook and are totally committed to making eye care affordable for everyone.
Vision Express director of professional services, Jay Ghadiali, with the latest collection of donated frames
“Worldwide, 1.1 billion people can’t see properly to learn and earn, and glasses could make all the difference. We’re grateful to all of our stores and our technical centre for their ongoing support in helping us reach this landmark donation, and we hope to continue to make a difference.”
