The largest family of independent opticians in the UK, Ireland and Channel islands has celebrated the expertise and dedication of its ‘everyday heroes’ after welcoming the president of the UK’s professional body for dispensing opticians to its Lancashire headquarters as part of nationwide centenary celebrations.
Brenda Rennie, president of the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO), joined Alistair Bridge, ABDO chief executive, during a visit to Hakim Group’s headquarters in Darwen last week as part of a programme marking 100 years of the dispensing optics profession.
The pair met the Hakim Group team and took part in a ‘listening group’ of over 50 leading optical industry experts, including HGHQ teams, independent practice owners and eyecare professionals, to get their views on their career progression, the products, spectacles and lenses they offer, how they expect their roles to evolve in the future and any new technology they are looking to invest in.
Hakim Group founder and CEO, Imran Hakim, said: “We were incredibly proud to be selected to take part in the ABDO centenary celebrations, but what made the visit particularly special was the opportunity to shine a light on our own dispensing opticians across the business.
“Dispensing opticians are absolutely crucial to a practice. They are not simply the people who help someone choose a pair of glasses – they combine technical expertise, clinical understanding and an incredible knowledge of each individual patient to find the best eyewear solution for them. They’re our everyday heroes.
“That personal understanding is what makes a great dispensing optician. They get to know the patient, understand how they live and what they need from their eyewear, and use their expertise to create something genuinely right for that individual.”
The event, which also featured an ‘East meets West’-themed afternoon tea, showcased the breadth of professional opportunities available at Hakim Group, from roles in marketing, HR and business admin, to eyecare professional roles including optometrists, contact lens opticians and optical assistants.
Gillian Twyning FBDO, Clinical Governance Manager at Hakim Group and Association of British Dispensing Opticians Board Director, shared: “Celebrating 100 years of the profession with ABDO felt really special. It was a chance to bring DO’s from the HG family together, to recognise everything the profession has achieved, and have important conversations with our CEO and President about where we go next. For me, it was about feeling proud of our past while being excited about the future of dispensing optics.”
Hakim Group was established by Imran Hakim, who set up his first practice, Hakim Opticians, in his hometown of Bolton in 2002, using a £2000 loan from his father. A year later, Imran made his first acquisition, Bussin Opticians in Failsworth, Greater Manchester, which paved the way for the establishment of Hakim Group in 2006 as his portfolio of independent opticians’ practices continued to grow across the north of England.
The company relocated to the India Mill Business Centre in 2011 and by 2018, Hakim Group’s portfolio had surpassed 100 practices.
Hakim Group prides itself on offering innovative support to ensure independent practices can thrive, allowing them to maintain their individuality while benefiting from Hakim Group’s back-office systems and operations.
The company now employs almost 300 people at its headquarters in Darwen, and boasts almost 600 practices across the UK, Ireland and Channel Islands. It has scooped several high-profile honours, including being recognised as one of the top-performing private businesses in Deloitte’s UK Best Managed Companies 2026 awards
Imran added: “The growth we have experienced has enabled us to grow our team and create clear progression routes across the business. We have seen people start in admin roles and fall in love with optics, training to become eyecare professionals and flourishing in careers including dispensing opticians. Between us, we have a wide and evolving skillset that will continue to grow and evolve far into the future.”
