Archive
“Wacky” World Sight Day
Essilor staff took part in this year’s World Sight Day Company Challenge with a ‘Wear something wacky to work’ Day! The team at Essilor wore crazy wigs, silly glasses and had a great time raising £350 for Optometry Giving Sight. Enthusiasm for next year is already taking hold!
Budding optometrists at Manchester University took on the World Sight Day Student Challenge with a special photography initiative. Two professional group photographs were taken of 146 optometry students and staff – one formal and one featuring every participant wearing a pair of glasses loaned by the dispensing lab - which are being sold throughout the faculty. Proceeds from the photos, along with funds raised on the day, will go to Optometry Giving Sight.
Eyes on the Challenge
UK practices celebrated this year’s World Sight Day Challenge in fun and innovative ways, raising thousands of pounds for Optometry Giving Sight. In Cambridge, Taank Optometrists invited local Mayor Russ McPherson to visit the practice on World Sight Day. The Mayor received an eye examination from optometrist Anjana Taank, to help promote the importance of having adequate access to eye care. ‘Your eyes are the windows to your world’ said Mayor McPherson, urging the public to take care of their eyes and go for regular eye examinations.
The staff and patients at Paul Cheetham Eyecare in Rochdale raised over £650 through the donation of eye exam fees and the generosity of patients – and through the efforts of
Optical Assistant Pauline Riley who took part in a sponsored one mile swim. Fundraising activities went on for the whole week, and on World Sight Day staff wore fancy dress to add to the occasion.
At Jane Smellie Opticians in Whitchurch, the whole team got involved by baking cakes and selling raffle tickets, celebrating with a coffee morning on World Sight Day. Over £300 was raised from the day, and local Councillors and others gathered at the practice to show their support.
Click here to read more stories about the World Sight Day Challenge.
Are you up to the Challenge?
This year, Optometry Giving Sight has joined forces with Vision Aid Overseas to invite optometrists and opticians across the UK to take part in the World Sight Day Challenge. Register today to help create sustainable vision care services for the millions of mothers, wives and daughters in the developing world who do not have access to an eye exam and glasses*.
We ask you to consider raising £250 - the cost of providing 100 eye exams and pairs of glasses - or as much as you can throughout October by either:
- Asking patients to donate £1 on top of each bill throughout October
- And/or donating your sight test fees from World Sight Day (or any other day in October)
- Planning a practice celebration on World Sight Day, 8th October
It’s not too late! Register today and request a free practice kit to help promote your practice and celebrate your involvement. Plus we can work with you to publicise your involvement to your local community. Last year supporters gained coverage in their local media and even on GMTV.
Optometrist and President of the World Council of Optometry, Bob Chappell, celebrated the World Sight Day Challenge last year by donating eye exam fees from his practice, The I Practice, and asking patients to make a donation.
“In my view, Optometry Giving Sight offers an unprecedented opportunity for members of my profession to make a coordinated and significant impact on the prevention of blindness. It is hard for us living here to grasp that just £2.50 can provide an eye exam and a pair of glasses in many developing countries. I’m delighted that our practice was able to raise £780 in support of the World Sight Day Challenge.”
Mohamed Kasmani, optometrist at Feltham Eyecare Centre, and staff also had a fun packed day taking part in the World Sight Day Challenge last year: “It was unbelievable how patients were so willing to donate towards the World Sight Day Challenge,” explained Mohamed.
“They absolutely loved that we were giving something back. We were able to raise £250 on the day and agreed to match the same amount and donate it to Optometry Giving Sight. “To us the World Sight Day Challenge is important because we feel that it is the right of all people to have access to eye care, especially in countries where it is not accessible like it is in the UK.”
Both practices are looking forward to taking part again this year, so please join them and many others by registering today.
New in 2009! Optical companies and students now have the opportunity to take part in the World Sight Day Company Challenge and the World Sight Day Student Challenge – contact us today to find out more.
Click here to register or contact us on 020 7202 8168.
BCLA 2009
The World Sight Day Challenge 09 was officially launched at the BCLA in May. Delegates were provided with information about this year's Challenge, the theme being gender and blindness.
Sarah Janikoun, last year's BCLA president talked about Optometry Giving Sight during her opening speech. Professor Brien Holden, who spoke on many subjects from academia to silicone hydrogels encouraged delegates and industry to support the Challenge. Brian Tompkins highlighted the fun aspect of the Challenge when talking to delegates about how he celebrated in his practice last year.
Click here for more information on the World Sight Day Challenge.
Industry Professionals Learn More
At a meeting in London leading industry professionals heard how and why they should play a part in eliminating refractive error blindness – simply the need for an eye exam and pair of glasses – by the year 2020.
The meeting on 18th March was hosted by Bob Hughes, CEO of the AOP and Chair of our UK Fundraising Development and Advisory Committee. Bob Chappell, Chairman of our National Committee and President of WCO, and Professor Kovin Naidoo, Global Programs Director for ICEE and the Africa Regional Chair of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness gave compelling presentations.
Professor Naidoo conveyed the importance of training and human resource development as the means by which we can develop sustainable and long term solutions and why this will help to develop optometry as a profession throughout the developing world. He also clarified why recycled spectacles are not the most effective means of providing sustainable vision care for people and communities in need.
BCLA 2009
Are you attending this year? The BCLA has chosen Optometry Giving Sight as its preferred charity for 2009 – make it yours too!
Visit us at booth 65a.
“For Your Eyes Only”
100 students at Anglia Ruskin University celebrated their annual Charity Eye Ball on Friday 27th March at the Doubletree Hilton Hotel, Cambridge.
The Casino Royale themed Eye Ball organised by the Optics Society began with a champagne reception and casino entertainment, followed by dinner and a DJ who filled the
dance floor.
Keeler, Boots, Specsavers, Vision Express, Hoya and D&A made donations and raffle prize contributions. The event raised £600, half of which was donated to Optometry Giving Sight.
Only a few places left!
Only a few places remain to run for sight in the Great North Run on 20th September and the Great South Run on 25th October 2009.
Have fun, get fit and help to transform lives by taking part and raising funds for Optometry Giving Sight
To secure your place please contact us today!
Jump for Sight!
Naaman Tammuz, a 2nd-year PhD student, chose to raise funds for Optometry Giving Sight while doing his first skydive!
Naaman said, “We were very impressed by Optometry Giving Sight, who seemed like a well-run and friendly charity, and especially one whose efforts seemed to be able to make a huge difference by helping people whose ONLY obstacle to leading a happy, productive and satisfying life might be their easily-corrected eyesight.”
Almost £600 has been raised for Optometry Giving Sight thanks to the sponsorship from Naaman’s friends and family.
If you would like to raise money for Optometry Giving Sight, please contact us.
And the Total is…
It may seem a long time ago but the final total is in. Thanks to the support of thousands of optometrists, staff, patients and companies across four countries over £200,000 was raised from the World Sight Day Challenge 2008.
“The day was a fun packed day and it was unbelievable how patients were so willing to donate towards the World Sight Day Challenge”, said Mohamed Kasmani of Feltham Eyecare Centre. “They absolutely loved that we were giving something back. We were able to raise £250 on the day and agreed to match the same amount and donate it to Optometry Giving Sight”.
Gill Monk from Swindon not only donated her exam fees on World Sight Day but also organised a Curry Night. She, along with her colleagues and patients, raised more than £400.
Practices participating across the country gained coverage in local media and even national television highlighting their support of the campaign. Local communities read, heard and watched how their local optometrist was helping to eliminate uncorrected refractive error by supporting the World Sight Day Challenge.
Funds raised will be used by Optometry Giving Sight to support projects in Sri Lanka, East Timor, Indigenous Australia, Latin America and South and East Africa where people have little or no access to eye exams and glasses. Training of local eye care professionals and infrastructure will be funded along with service delivery to ensure a long term solution for these communities.
“Thank you to everyone who participated in the World Sight Day Challenge and who helped to raise so much! It was great that people had so much fun participating”, said Louise Walpole of Optometry Giving Sight. “We are delighted that we were able to help promote the commitment of optometrists to global blindness prevention through the media. As many participants have said to me, it really was a win-win situation”.
Save the date: World Sight Day falls on Thursday 8th October in 2009 and the World Sight Day Challenge will run throughout October again.
Running for Sight
Optometrists and industry staff have taken to the streets of Edinburgh, Newcastle, Portsmouth and other locations across the country, running to raise money for their International Charity of Choice. “It was our first time running the Great North Run and we loved it,” commented Paul Houston of See20/20 who ran with colleague Colin Hurst. “The atmosphere was fantastic and it was great seeing all the supporters who turned up to watch”. The pair raised a total of nearly £1,000.
Congratulations to all supporters who participated in events last year!
Places are still available for the Great North Run and Great South Run 2009, please contact the UK office to register.
Volunteer for projects
UK optometrist Kajal Shah from D&A in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, tells of her recent visit to Guyana where she took part in a programme implemented by Optometry Giving Sight founding partner, the International Centre for Eyecare Education (ICEE). The programme aims to train vision technicians in order to provide sustainable eye care services for the people in Guyana as well as other parts of Latin America. Kajal tells the story of a boy seen at one of the vision centres:
“There was one particular boy, ten year old George, who really made a lasting impression. The smile that lit up his face when he put on his first pair of -6.00D stretched from ear to ear. He was being looked after by his elderly grandmother as he was deemed blind but couldn’t afford to go to the special school for ‘blind’ children. Until recently, children like George had no access to eye care services. Simply providing him with an eye exam and a pair of glasses will make such a positive impact not just on his own life but on the lives of his whole family.”
Kajal took part in the World Sight Day Challenge this year and wanted to share her volunteer experience with fellow Optometry Giving Sight supporters who are now able to volunteer to participate in “sight” visits, with a particular focus on teaching and / or mentoring of local staff. These volunteer visits give donors the chance to see first hand how their donations are making a difference and are delivered in conjunction with our implementing partners. Learn more.
National Eyecare Group
The National Eyecare Group have joined with other leading companies and made Optometry Giving Sight their International Charity of Choice. The UK’s largest purchasing group for independent Opticians, NEG will ask its 900 members to help support Optometry Giving Sight and join those who make a monthly donation either personally or through their business.
NEG Business Development Manager Phil Mullins said “NEG as a group will give our support to Optometry Giving Sight and the great work that they do to help the 300 million plus people who are needlessly blind or vision impaired”.
Seeing Eye to Eye
Seeing Eye to Eye is a great way of raising the profile of optometry and your practice in your community while giving sight – and hope – to people in need.
Simply donate a set amount from the sale of every pair of glasses, frames, contact lenses, eye exam or another item or service you choose. Learn more.
Success at the Great North Run
Congratulations to all those supporters who took part in the Great North Run on behalf of Optometry Giving Sight. A great day was had by all and excellent results were achieved. AOP Executive Assistant Karen Brown completed the challenging 21km course in a time of just 2 hrs 30 minutes. Karen commented, “Every year I’d watch the London Marathon and think the thousands of people who take part in this event are very inspiring. When I received the email from Optometry Giving Sight to enter the Great North Run I quickly registered my interest. I was more than happy to help raise money for the important work Optometry Giving Sight supports worldwide”.
Also participating were See20/20’s Sales & Marketing Director Paul Houston and Professional Services Manager Colin Hurst, who raised nearly £1,000 thanks to the support of friends, family and See20/20 customers. Paul said, “It was our first time running the Great North Run and we loved it. The atmosphere at the start, along the route and the finish was just fantastic. The supporters who had come out to cheer on all the runners were great. Credit must go to the organisers and the people of Newcastle, Gateshead & South Shields for making it such a great day.” Both Paul and Colin were delighted with their times of 1 hr 54 minutes and 2 hrs 25 minutes respectively.
Tick ‘Yes’ for chance of project visit
Bob Hughes, AOP Chief Executive, has urged all AOP members to ‘Tick Yes to OGS’ and make a donation when renewing their annual membership. Renewal forms will be released shortly and all members who choose to make a regular monthly donation of £10 or an annual donation of £120 will stand a chance of winning a visit to an Optometry Giving Sight funded project in 2009.
“Donations from AOP members have helped to fund projects in Africa and Asia that have screened more than one million people over the past 12 months – with 20,000 receiving glasses, low vision devices or being referred for other treatment,” explains Mr Hughes, and he encourages members to continue to make a difference.
To be in with a chance of winning the life changing opportunity of a project visit, AOP members simply need to tick the box on their renewal form or contact Optometry Giving Sight or the AOP directly.
Practices across the country stepped up to the World Sight Day Challenge last month, donating eye exam fees and holding practice celebrations to mark the special day. Here’s how some of our supporters got involved:
Tompkins, Knight and Sons in Northampton held a BOGOF campaign – buy one optometrist, get one free! Patients were warmly received and were treated to not just one, but two optometrists providing their eye exams. Those patients who made a donation were offered a glass of bubbly with blueberry juice and smoked salmon nibbles as a thank you. Blueberries are known to contain antioxidants and salmon contains omega 3 which are believed to promote good eye health. The practice, participating for its second year, was proud to donate £500 in total raised from eye exam fees, locum fees and patient donations.
Blues Brothers was the theme of the day at Williams Optometrist in Leigh-on-Sea. Mike Parson and Stuart Humfrey wanted to help raise awareness in their local community about blindness and vision impairment caused by refractive error and held a practice celebration on World Sight Day to do so, dressing up as Jake and Elwood Blues from the 1980s movie. The practice donated 10% of every pair of glasses sold to Optometry Giving Sight and received a great response from patients on the day.
Sight for Sight - or should that be Fright for Sight?
Don’t be afraid it’s not Halloween yet, just your local optometrist dressing up to raise funds for the World Sight Day Challenge!
The number of practices donating their eye exam fees on World Sight Day has almost doubled since last year. Practices across the country are getting into the swing of things – including Feltham Eyecare Centre pictured left.
Other events include a Blues Brothers theme at Williams Optometrists in Leigh on Sea in Essex; staff at branches of Good Looking Optics in St Albans and Enfield will be dressing up as famous spectacle wearers such as Harry Potter and Ugly Betty; Masterchef finalist and optometrist Brian Tompkins will be bringing a foodie-flavour to the day at his practice in Northampton and ‘Grease is the Word’ at the Contact Lens Centre in Sittingbourne, where Nicholle Collett and colleagues will be dressing up as characters from the musical. Patients will be encouraged to make a donation in support of the Challenge.
Thank you to everyone who is making a donation and holding fundraising events for the World Sight Day Challenge - good luck and have fun!
Keep on running!
Yet again five of our supporters have been running for sight by taking part in the Great North Run on Sunday 5th October. The sun was shining as our runners braved the cold and joined the 52,000 competitors in this year’s race. Well done and a big thanks to all who took part.
Don’t forget to watch this space to see personal stories from the runners themselves. Sunday October 26th October is the Bupa Great South Run in Portsmouth; we also have eight people running this 10 mile run for Optometry Giving Sight and wish everyone the best of luck!
CIBA VISION Giving Vision!
CIBA VISION in support of the World Sight Day Challenge has encouraged Optometrists to take part in the campaign by handing out sign up forms via its sales force; we are pleased to announce that we are receiving donations in abundance, thanks to this initiative!
No, they haven’t finished yet! Thanks to yet another CIBA VISION initiative, their Academy for Eyecare Excellence is donating £10 to Optometry Giving Sight for each person who attends the Specialist Club meeting being held in Norwich on the 7th October.
Brian Tompkins adds spice to World Sight Day Challenge
Optometrists who participate in this year’s World Sight Day Challenge will have the chance to win a gourmet dinner prepared in their own home by Optometry’s very own celebrity chef, Brian Tompkins, with wines provided by sommelier, David Bennett.
Every optometrist who donates their sight test fees or signs up to a regular donation of £10 per month (or annual equivalent) as part of the World Sight Day Challenge will be entered into a draw to win this fabulous prize. The winner will be selected at random by the Chief Executive of the AOP, Bob Hughes, on ..... > read more
“Massification”
– A New Approach for Southern Africa
Optometry Giving Sight has been invited to support the implementation of a new strategy
for ensuring that people in the Southern African countries of Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi,
Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe receive access to affordable and sustainable
refractive error and low vision services.
The newly-created human resource, educational and deployment solution for Southern Africa aims to dramatically increase the numbers of people in the region who are being trained and given gainful employment within existing health and educational structures. It has been developed by Professor Kovin Naidoo from our implementing partner, the International Centre for Eyecare Education (ICEE), in conjunction with Sightsavers International, CBM, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and in-country partners. Kovin has dubbed... > read more
Taking the Challenge
Dispensing Optician Mark Soper from Hailsham participated in the World Sight Day Challenge last year, raising over £350. Mark was one of the first to sign up again for the Challenge in 2008 and he encourages practices across the UK to join him in participating.
“The World Sight Day Challenge is a fantastic initiative that brings some fun into the practice while at the same time providing the satisfaction of knowing you are giving sight to people who don’t have access to a practice like ours. Donating eye exam fees for just one day is so simple to do, yet it makes a huge difference. My staff and patients really enjoyed the Challenge last year and I would definitely recommend other practices to sign up”.
International Charity of Choice of BCLA
Optometry Giving Sight has been chosen as the nominated charity for the BCLA for the next twelve months. The BCLA Council responded to the request from its members to support an optical related charity and made the decision after considering several nominations.
Newly elected President, Sarah Janikoun said: “We are delighted to put our support behind such a worthwhile cause and I hope that our members and associates will join us in supporting Optometry Giving Sight.”
Louise Walpole, Country Manager for Optometry Giving Sight, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen as this year’s nominated charity. We feel a particular affinity with the BCLA given the incredible support that we receive from so many organisations involved in the contact lens industry – including our sponsors the Institute for Eye Research, CIBA VISION and Bausch and Lomb. Coopervision and Johnson & Johnson Vision Care have also been supportive.”
Ms Walpole said this support was having a dramatic impact on the lives of people who are blind or vision impaired due to uncorrected refractive error – and was also helping to galvanise support from other sections of the optometric industry.
Another Chance to Tick Yes to OGS
Optometry Giving Sight will once again invite all AOP members to “Tick Yes to OGS” on their membership renewal form when these are distributed in October. Please note that your donation to Optometry Giving Sight must be renewed each year, unlike your professional membership which may be automatic. Please take the time to renew your commitment and support the AOP’s International Charity of Choice.
To make a regular monthly or annual donation, please call us on 020 7202 8168 or donate online at www.givingsight.org. Alternatively visit our stand at the AOP’s National Optometric Conference at the Chesford Grange Hotel, Kenilworth, 20-21 November, and meet our new Country Manager, Louise Walpole. She will be happy to talk to you about how your donation can give sight.
AOP Members “Tick Yes to OGS”
Yet again we have been overwhelmed by the kind support that the Association of Optometrists’ members have given Optometry Giving Sight during the last renewal cycle. Through the ‘Tick Yes to OGS’ campaign we have so far received more than £7,500.
We are grateful to the members of staff at the association for facilitating this fundraising opportunity as well making Optometry Giving Sight their International Charity of Choice.
The AOP endorses Optometry Giving Sight, but does not give any of the membership fees to the charity, instead it encourages members to support Optometry Giving Sight’s fundraising efforts and make them successful.
Peter Charlesworth…does he ever stop?
Peter Charlesworth, Managing Director and Laura Davidson, Project Manager of Replay Learning joined Lavina Menezes of Optometry Giving Sight, to take part in the Great Edinburgh Run on the 4th May 2008. They completed the 10 kilometer course and raised nearly £2,000 for Optometry Giving Sight.
Peter is well known for his generosity and fundraising initiatives and we are honoured that he asked his family and friends to donate to Optometry Giving Sight instead of buying him presents and cards for his 40th birthday.
BCLA - a huge success for raising Optometry Giving Sight’s profile
The BCLA is increasingly an important date on the international contact lens calendar within the UK and speakers from around the world were a prominent feature on this year’s lecture program. Speakers included Professor Brien Holden CEO of Optometry Giving Sight; Chair of the Institute for Eye Research (IER) and Deputy CEO of VISION CRC from Sydney, Australia and Professor Deborah Sweeney, CEO of the Vision CRC also from Sydney.
Throughout the conference, delegates committed to the World Sight Day Challenge, Practice Giving Program and as Personal Donors.
The BCLA also enabled Optometry Giving Sight to meet with current and potential corporate sponsors whose funds enable Optometry Giving Sight’s staff to attend such events and guarantee that at least 85% of the donations we receive from the optometric profession and their patients go directly to the projects we support.
Johnson & Johnson Vision Care announced that for every completed feed back questionnaire they received from delegates trying the new Acuvue TruEyes, they would donate £10 to Optometry Giving Sight. We thank them for their generosity.
Bausch & Lomb who are a Gold National Sponsor, agreed to double the impact of any donations made to Optometry Giving Sight and are matching all donations made during BCLA for World Sight Day Sign ups and Regular or one-off donations.
Rodenstock Raises £500 for Optometry Giving Sight
Rodenstock is pleased to announce the success of its recent charitable campaign which raised £500 for Optometry Giving Sight. The company, which is one of Europe’s leading frame & lens manufacturers, carried out a special promotion in the UK whereby a generous donation was made to Optometry Giving Sight for every pair of Impression FreeSign® lenses sold between January and March.
Optometry Giving Sight would like to thank ‘Rodenstock UK’ and its customers for their valuable support and for setting a great lead within the industry.
Replay Learning takes on Great Run
Peter Charlesworth, Managing Director and Laura Davidson, Project Manager from Replay Learning are taking part in the Great Edinburgh Run on the 4th of May in aid of Optometry Giving Sight. Thousands of runners are expected to take part in one of the world’s most scenic 10km courses around Scotland’s historical capital city.
Training is already underway for the event. This is the first time Laura has taken part in a run and she said, “I’m finding the training more difficult than I expected but I’m looking forward to the challenge.” Peter is aiming to complete the course in 50 minutes - his previous best time over 10Km, set 18 years ago. It is hoped that £1000 will be raised for Optometry Giving Sight. Lavina Menezes from Optometry Giving Sight will also join Laura and Peter in the run.
If you would like to help Peter andLaura meet their target, simply click here and remember to add ‘Peter’ Run’ or ‘Laura’s Run’ to the comments box. Just £25 could provide an eye examination and glasses for 5 people.
Concept Eye Clinic takes on Practice Giving
Exclusive new eye boutique Concept Eye Clinic announced its support for Optometry Giving Sight at its glamorous launch event in Gosforth last month in the form of a ‘buy one, we give one free’ campaign. For every pair of spectacles purchased in the practice, Concept Eye Clinic will make a donation to Optometry Giving Sight to help fund the provision of an eye examination and pair of glasses for communities in the developing world.
“Good quality eye care services are something we take for granted here in the UK,” said Vik Kumar, optometrist and Managing Director of Concept Eye Clinic, “yet there are millions of people around the world who are blind or vision impaired because they don’t have access to such services. When my patients come for an eye exam and buy a pair of glasses, we will be helping someone in the developing world to have that same opportunity.”
For information about how you can make a difference in your practice, please click here.
Optometry Giving Sight Welcomes New UK Country Manager
Optometry Giving Sight is pleased to welcome Louise Walpole as the new Country Manager for the UK. Louise will be joining the UK team from her previous role at Ten Alps Publishers, where she was a Client Account Manager in charge of the department for Optometry Today magazine, among other titles. Louise brings with her over eight years experience in sales and marketing, as well as proven organizational skills and knowledge of the optometric industry.
More than £8,000 raised in World Sight Day Challenge
A fantastic result of more than £8,000 was achieved thanks to the many practices and individuals that took part in the World Sight Day Challenge. Congratulations to Northampton practice Tompkins, Knight & Son who raised the most on the day. As well as being a regular donor and making a practice donation on World Sight Day, practice owner Brian Tompkins (left) had cakes and sweets for all patients who donated and a bottle of bubbly as an incentive for staff involvement.
Optometry Giving Sight would like to thank everyone who participated in the Challenge; every donation is playing a vital part in giving sight – and hope – to some of the millions in need.
Myers La Roche Names Optometry Giving Sight as its Charity of Choice
Myers La Roche, the largest consultancy in the UK and Ireland specializing exclusively in the optical profession, has named Optometry Giving Sight as its International Charity of Choice.
Patrick Myers, Director of Myers La Roche, explains: “Our products and services are specifically aimed at optometrists and opticians, and therefore it makes sense
to support a charity directly related to our profession.”
“We want to join the AOP and many others around the world to play our part in eliminating refractive error blindness by the year 2020, and encourage all optical professionals to sign up to regular donations” said Patrick. “We will be donating £10 for every Practice Health Check and Optic2000 Club Membership that we sell in 2008 and urging our customers to match this by making a donation too.”
Optometry Giving Sight will be present at the Myers La Roche Best Practice 2008 Programme from March to June.
Rodenstock Supports Optometry Giving Sight
Rodenstock is supporting the work of Optometry Giving Sight by making a generous donation for each Rodenstock Impression FreeSign® lens dispensed from now until the
end of March.
“We would like to thank the fantastic loyalty of our Rodenstock customers as their support enables us to help this most worthwhile optometric charity,” said Nick Loan, Managing Director of Rodenstock (left).
Bob Chappell, Chairman of Optometry Giving Sight’s National Committee, is delighted with Rodenstock’s lead: “This is the first lens company to get involved with Optometry Giving Sight in the UK. We hope that, together, significant funds can be raised to support our Priority Projects in Africa and Sri Lanka.”
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Save the date for World Sight Day Challenge October 2008! |
Specsavers Gala Dinner in Australia raises $74,000
The first Australian annual Specsavers Gala Dinner, held in December, saw a record sum raised for Optometry Giving Sight. Suppliers, optometrists and company founders Doug and Dame Mary Perkins all contributed to raise almost AU$74,000 (£33,000) for projects that will give sight to people with uncorrected refractive error.
Dame Mary Perkins was thrilled with the result. “It’s a fantastic feeling for us to be a part of raising such a large amount of money for Optometry Giving Sight,” she said. “Specsavers has been very committed to a range of charitable activities in the UK and Europe for many years now and we want to bring that same dedication to Australia too. This is a great start and we thank all our suppliers and our partners for such a strong show of mutual support to a very worthwhile cause.”
Professor Brien Holden CEO, Optometry Giving Sight, said that the dinner was the single largest fund-raising event in Optometry Giving Sight’s Australian history and he applauded the company for its well known support for social and community causes. “Tonight we saw that leadership in action,” he said.
Optimed Becomes Gold National Sponsor
Optimed Ltd, the leading ophthalmic digital signage company in the UK, has announced its commitment to Optometry Giving Sight by becoming a Gold National Sponsor.
Optimed will not only provide financial support, but will utilise the power of their unique digital signage technology, the expertise of their design team and the encouragement of their sales staff to raise awareness of Optometry Giving Sight and generate support amongst even more members of the optical community.
“I have always been a supporter of Optometry Giving Sight since it launched in the UK,” explains Dr Trusit Dave, optometrist and Director of Optimed Ltd. “I am delighted that we are now at a stage where Optimed can give its support too. We are looking forward to helping Optometry Giving Sight reach even more optometrists and to give them the opportunity to use our i-Vue digital signage systems to reach out to patients visiting practices as well.”
$5 million Allocated to Projects
Speaking at the American Academy of Optometry, the Executive Chairman and CEO of Optometry Giving Sight, Professor Brien Holden, announced that Optometry Giving Sight would disperse its first US$1,000,000 by the end of 2007. The funds will support projects that will give sight to people with refractive error blindness and impaired vision in Africa, Sri Lanka, East Timor and Indigenous Australia.
The funds have been raised by optometrists, their staff and patients in Australia, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe.
“We are on track to raise the next US$4 million in 2008 and 2009, and the Board thought it wise for strategic planning and synergy purposes to allocate funds going forward to complete the current priority projects,” said Professor Holden. > more
Over £7,000 raised in World Sight Day Challenge
Thank you to all who participated in the World Sight Day Challenge!
So far over £7,000 has been raised thanks to practices, their staff and their patients across the UK – with money still coming in.
Here are some examples of optometrists who took part in the Challenge:
Joy Hynes, of Hynes Optometrists in Ealing, is a regular donor who frequently fundraises in practice as well: “The World Sight Day Challenge was another great opportunity to raise awareness about the need worldwide. We made a donation as a practice and asked our patients to contribute as well, raising over £200. The day was a great success and we will continue to raise money for Optometry Giving Sight all year round”.
Sonia Methven, optometrist at Specsavers in High Wycombe, set up "Sight Stations" so that her patients could get an idea of what it is like to live with uncorrected refractive error. Each station featured a pair of glasses fitted with lenses chosen to illustrate common sight problems.
"I have experienced first hand the scale of the sight care problems in developing countries and am delighted to support an organisation dedicated to providing funds for eye health for children in the developing world where such services do not exist." said Sonia. "I wanted our patients to realise how debilitating sight problems can be and how little it costs to give sight to an individual child."
Optometrists across the country signed up to take part in the World Sight Day Challenge.
Gosforth Eye Company in Newcastle pledged to donate eye exam fees on Thursday 11th October - and invited the Lord Mayor of Newcastle to attend an eye examination. Lord Mayor Peter Arnold was delighted to be involved in the event and urged others to support the campaign. "We wanted to let people in Newcastle know the scale of this problem and how little it costs to help an individual child", explained Katrina Venerus of Gosforth Eye Company. "Having the support of the Lord Mayor of the city is a fabulous boost to our efforts and we are grateful to him for giving up his time".
The Challenge also provided a great opportunity to invite patients to show their support by adding as little as £2.50 to their bill. Brian Tompkins, practice owner and optometrist from Northampton, had cakes and sweets on offer to anyone who made a donation - and a bottle of bubbly for the staff member who got the most donations! Brian said: "I strongly believe that people in the developing world should have the same access to eye care services that we take for granted here in the UK, which is why I am a regular donor myself. Patients were only too happy to donate, as they can understand the importance of an eye exam better than anyone. By lunchtime we had already raised £150 from patients alone”.
Michelle Beavers from Helensburgh Eyecare in Scotland decided to take a product-related angle to the World Sight Day Challenge by donating £10 from each pair of spectacles sold throughout the month of October: “Due to the new fees structure in Scotland people now receive their eye examination for “free” so it didn’t seem appropriate to donate our eye exam fees. Instead we decided to make a donation for each pair of spectacles sold and ask patients if they would like to donate too”.
Optometry Giving Sight would like to thank all optometrists, practices and patients for getting involved in the Challenge!
Optometrists across the country are signing up to take part in the World Sight Day Challenge. Mark Soper Opticians in Hailsham is one practice that will be donating eye examination fees to mark the day. Mark comments, “the moment the sign up form arrived I knew this was something we wanted to get involved in. We are a relatively new practice and this is an excellent opportunity to raise much needed funds and promote the practice further. We will avoid doing any dispensing on World Sight Day itself so that we can fit in as many eye examinations as possible.”
Michelle Beavers from Helensburgh Eyecare in Scotland will be taking a product-related angle to the World Sight Day Challenge by donating £10 from each pair of spectacles sold: “Due to the new fees structure in Scotland people now receive their eye examination for “free” so it didn’t seem appropriate to donate our eye exam fees. Instead we decided to make a donation for each pair of spectacles sold and ask patients if they would like to donate too”.
It is not too late to take part in the World Sight Day Challenge, so please sign up today!
Bausch & Lomb Renew Gold National Sponsorship
Bausch & Lomb UK has committed £12,000 to support Optometry Giving Sight as Gold National Sponsors over the next year. As a National Gold Sponsor, Bausch & Lomb UK will play a leadership role in promoting the fundraising efforts of Optometry Giving Sight and in raising awareness of the tremendous work that is being carried out thanks to funds donated by the optometric industry.
“As an eye health company dedicated to perfecting vision and enhancing life for consumers around the world, it makes sense for Bausch & Lomb to support a charity which is giving millions of people sight and the chance for a better future,’ said Managing Director Gareth Steer. “It was also a natural choice for us to continue to support Optometry Giving Sight in view of our global support of VISION 2020: The Right to Sight.”
Sign up to the World Sight Day Challenge Today
Jonathan Walker Optometrists was the first practice in the UK to sign up to donate eye examination fees on World Sight Day, October 11th. Jonathan explains why he has chosen to take part: ‘My practice already donates to Optometry Giving Sight on a regular basis, but World Sight Day is a particularly important day for all optometrists to reflect on the importance of what we do – and remember that there are 300 million people in the world whose lives could be improved simply by having access to an eye exam and pair of glasses. This is optometry’s opportunity to make a difference’.
Lyn White, optometrist and AOP Councillor has pledged to donate her professional fees on World Sight Day. ‘No matter how you are involved in the optometric industry, there is scope for every one of us to get involved in the World Sight Day Challenge. I urge anyone reading this to sign up now!’
Visit Optometry Giving Sight at Autumn Events
As the International Charity of Choice of the AOP, Optometry Giving Sight has been invited to exhibit at the National Optometric Conference in Kenilworth. The line up includes a day of CET as well as an Employed Practitioners conference, and will this year be combined with the Hospital Optometrists Annual Conference. These events take place over four days, from the 25th-28th October.
Replay Learning, the CET provider and Supporter National Sponsor of Optometry Giving Sight, is providing a series of Clinical Conferences throughout the autumn. These will consist of four one-day conferences held around the country offering a range of clinical topics, workshops and debates. Optometry Giving Sight will be present at all four events in Bradford, Egham, Birmingham and London.
Optical Industry Unite To Give Sight
2007 has seen a fantastic response from companies across the industry offering their support for Optometry Giving Sight. Competition was put aside briefly at the BCLA this year when nearly £2,000 was raised through donations from some of the leading names in the industry – Alcon, Menicon, No. 7, Sauflon, See 20/20, Ultravision and Maui Jim.
Playing their part in the global campaign to eliminate preventable blindness caused by uncorrected refractive error, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care in the UK have made a significant donation of £5,000 to Optometry Giving Sight. CooperVision have also stepped forward and made a £1,000 donation in support of the World Sight Day Challenge.
Corporate Golf Day Raises Support among Scottish Optometrists
Alness Golf Club in the Highlands of Scotland was the venue for a Shotgun Texas Scramble Golf Competition on 27th July 2007, which raised £2,000 for Optometry
Giving Sight. Hugh Campbell, optometrist and organizer of the event, remarked that all 18 teams enjoyed a great day on the course.
A local company sponsored the green fees and Campbell Eyecare paid for the meal and prizes, resulting in all team entry fees going directly to Optometry Giving Sight. A raffle helped to top up the fundraising, and thanks are due to CIBA Vision, Christian Dior, Kodak Signet Armorlite, Humberside Optical and
Continental Eyewear for their kind donations of prizes.
Stockport Optometrist Wins Topcon Lens Meter
Optometrist Karen Frank of Karen Frank Opticians in Stockport has won a Topcon Lens Meter by signing up to support Optometry Giving Sight’s Regular Giving Programme. The promotion, which was launched at Optrafair in April, gave all optometrists who signed up to either the Regular Giving or Practice Giving Programmes the opportunity to be entered into the draw.
Karen expressed her delight at winning the lens meter, worth nearly £1,000, and said, “we are a relatively small independent practice and a new focimeter will be of great use to us, it is fantastic news. But the real gratification comes from knowing that my regular donation is helping to give sight to people around the world who are in desperate need of eye care”.
Optometry Giving Sight would like to congratulate Karen and thank Topcon for generously donating the lens meter
World Sight Day Challenge to be launched at Independents Day
Optometry Giving Sight will be launching this year’s World Sight Day Challenge, “Our Vision For Children”, at the Independents Day event in Birmingham on July 4th. The challenge invites optometrists, their practices and their staff to get involved in raising funds on or before World Sight Day, October 11th, and help give sight to the estimated 13 million children who are blind or vision impaired simply because they do not have a pair of glasses.
Nick Atkins, Director of Proven Track Record and provider of Independents Day, says “It seemed highly appropriate for Optometry Giving Sight to be present at Independents Day. We are very much in support of their goal to provide long term sustainable solutions in the developing world and it provides optometrists in the UK with an opportunity to raise the profile of their own profession.”
Click here to find out more about the World Sight Day Challenge, or come and visit the Optometry Giving Sight stand at Independents Day.
Launch of the Practice Giving Programme
The exciting new campaign for 2007, the Practice Giving Programme, has now been launched in the UK. The concept behind Practice Giving is simple. Participating practices make a commitment to raising funds for Optometry Giving Sight and then invite their patients to match their contribution in some way.
Generally, this will be in the form of a small donation to Optometry Giving Sight when the patient comes into the practice for an eye examination, new pair of glasses, or even a simple screw repair. This donation can be as little as a pound or two – and can be added to a patient’s invoice or collected separately.
There are three options for practices wishing to get involved:
Matching Donations: The practice invites the patient to make a small donation as described above, which the practice undertakes to match. This can be a one to one match, limited to a maximum monthly amount or a monthly guarantee.
Product Related Donations: The practice donates an agreed amount from the sale of one or more of its products (for example, £5 from the sales of every pair of glasses) and advises the patient that this amount will be donated to Optometry Giving Sight. The practice may also choose to display an authorised collection tin in their practice and to invite donations in return for screw repairs etc.
Special Promotions: The practice chooses to support the World Sight Day Challenge by agreeing to donate a day’s revenue on World Sight Day and by inviting their patients to add a pound or more to their bill throughout the month of October.
If your practice would like to get involved, or would like any more information, please
contact us on 020 7202 8168.
Visit Optometry Giving Sight at the Replay Learning Annual Clinical Conferences
Replay Learning, the CET provider and Supporter National Sponsor of Optometry Giving Sight, has teamed up with Optician Magazine to provide a series of Clinical Conferences throughout the autumn. These will consist of four one-day conferences held around the country offering a range of clinical topics, workshops and debates.
As Replay Learning’s Charity of Choice, Optometry Giving Sight will have a stand at all conferences in Bradford, Egham, Birmingham and London where visitors can find out more about the charity and the World Sight Day Challenge.
Optical Industry Unite to Give Sight
The optical industry put competition briefly aside at the BCLA this year in a joint effort to endorse Optometry Giving Sight. Nearly £2,000 was raised through donations from some of the leading companies in the industry – Alcon, Menicon, No. 7, Sauflon, See 20/20, Ultravision and Maui Jim.
“It is important for industry leaders to set an example and show support for organisations that are helping to give sight to millions of people around the world,” said Nick Loan, Managing Director of Ultravision. “Every donation to Optometry Giving Sight takes us one step closer to achieving the goal of eliminating preventable blindness by the year 2020.”
The BCLA was a great success for Optometry Giving Sight, with a number of optometrists signing up to the Regular Giving and Practice Giving Programmes.
Optometrists raise £8,000 by ‘Ticking Yes to OGS’
The AOP has presented Optometry Giving Sight, their International Charity of Choice, with a cheque for £7,239 on behalf of its members who made a donation and ‘Ticked Yes to OGS’ on their membership renewal forms. The CEO, Bob Hughes, presented the cheque at the AOP’s AGM in Belfast saying: ”We are delighted that so many of our members have chosen to support Optometry Giving Sight. We feel this is an unprecedented opportunity for the profession to collaborate in the fight against preventable blindness, and we are proud to be involved.”
Dr Jo Hollingsworth, Country Manager of Optometry Giving Sight in the UK, was thrilled with the amount raised and highlighted that the total would rise to over £8,000 once Gift Aid was claimed. Accepting the cheque alongside her was the Chairman of the Optometry Giving Sight National Committee and the newly elected President of the WCO, Bob Chappell. As an independent optometrist participating in the Practice Giving Programme, Bob explained: “If everyone in the optometric community were to get involved with this campaign we could have a significant impact in reducing the numbers of those whose lives are unnecessarily affected by uncorrected refractive error and low vision.”
Optometry Giving Sight would like to thank all members who made a donation and would like to invite readers to take part in the new the Practice Giving Programme.
Sign Up To Win A Topcon Lens Meter:
Sign up to support Optometry Giving Sight by the 6th July and you could be in with a chance of winning a brand new Topcon LM8 lens meter, worth nearly £1,000. Topcon have donated the lens meter to promote Optometry Giving Sight’s Practice Giving programme, and anyone who signs up to a regular donation either as an individual or through the Practice Giving Programme will be entered into the prize draw.
Regular donations allow Optometry Giving Sight to plan for the future and fund long-term sustainable solutions that have the potential to help millions in desperate need of eye care.
Optometrist Runs to Raise Funds
Optometrist Chris Ramsdale took part in the Great Manchester Run this
month, running double her usual race distance to raise funds for Optometry
Giving Sight. A big thank-you and congratulations goes out to Chris who raised over £400.
BCLA 2007
Optometry Giving Sight will be present at the BCLA Annual Conference which takes place 31st May – 3rd June at the International Convention Centre in Manchester. Come and visit the stand to meet the Optometry Giving Sight team and find out how you can get involved.
Optrafair 2007
Optrafair 2007 delegates showed their support of Optometry Giving Sight by signing up to take part in the innovative new campaign, the Practice Giving Programme, while others signed up to make a regular donation.
Projects funded by Optometry Giving Sight support the goals of VISION 2020: The Right to Sight, and visitors had the opportunity to talk to a representative from the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness/VISION 2020. Optometry Giving Sight funds projects run by service providers such as Sightsavers International and Christian Blind Mission (CBM) who also had a presence at the stand.
Thanks to Optrafair organisers, the Federation of Manufacturing Opticians, who donated stand space and to Optimed Ltd who donated an i-Vue practice display system for the duration of the event.
If you missed the opportunity at Optrafair to sign-up to one of Optometry Giving Sight’s fundraising programmes, it’s not too late – simply call 020 7202 8168 to find out how.
AOP Members Join the Fight Against Global Blindness
Optometry Giving Sight in the UK would like to thank all members of the Association of Optometrists (AOP) who chose to ‘Tick Yes to OGS’ and make a donation on their membership renewal forms. The response to the campaign has been extremely positive, with members clearly embracing Optometry Giving Sight as the AOP’s International Charity of Choice.
If you are an AOP member and have not yet returned your form and would like to make a donation, please remember to tick the Gift Aid box – as this makes your donation go further at no extra cost to yourself.
Dr. Jo Hollingsworth, UK Country Manager for Optometry Giving Sight, will be visiting many Local Optical Committees across the country to give a short presentation and answer questions about Optometry Giving Sight. Information will also be available on the Practice Giving Programme, which is shortly to be launched in the UK.
Optrafair 2007
Planning is underway for Optrafair, the largest optical exhibition in the UK, which takes place from the 21st – 23rd April at the Birmingham NEC. This year, the Federation of Manufacturing Opticians (FMO) has created an area especially for Associations and Charities, where Optometry Giving Sight has been donated stand space.
Visitors to the Optometry Giving Sight stand will have the opportunity to find out not only about how to get involved in raising funds, but also to hear more about the need worldwide and about the projects themselves. Optometry Giving Sight will be joined on its stand by its founding partner, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, incorporating the VISION 2020: The Right to Sight initiative, and implementing partners SightSavers International and Christian Blind Mission.
Contact Lens Industry Shows Support At Christmas
Johnson & Johnson Vision Care has made a generous donation of £2,000 to Optometry Giving Sight, in replacement of sending corporate Christmas cards. This is a fantastic drive and the donation will make a significant different difference to many peoples lives. Other leading companies in the field - CIBA Vision and Bausch & Lomb UK - sent Christmas cards that contained the Optometry Giving Sight logo and made a donation to Optometry Giving Sight for every Christmas card sent. Total figures will be announced shortly.
Replay Learning Becomes Sponsor
Replay Learning, the CET provider, has become a Corporate Sponsor of Optometry Giving Sight in the UK. Peter Charlesworth, Director of Replay Learning, commented: “We are very happy to lend our support to Optometry Giving Sight. It seems highly appropriate that as a CET provider we should back a charity which organises training and education for providers of eye care services in the developing world. It is particularly pertinent for us because a number of subscribers to our Virtual Lectures distance learning programme live in developing countries.” Optometry Giving Sight will be present at the Replay Learning CET events throughout the year.
Every Day is World Sight Day
Thank you to all the practices that responded to the 2006 World Sight Day Challenge! As well as inviting patients to add £1 to their bill there were many innovative ways of raising funds: One practice raffled a home made Christmas cake, another a cuddly toy and optometrist Sue Langton of Bridlington held a charity ball. Over £4000 has been raised. One of the key strengths of Optometry Giving Sight is galvanizing support of optometrists and their patients, and the World Sight Day Challenge was met with great enthusiasm by all.
The challenge of restoring sight to millions of people worldwide did not end on October 12. To continue raising funds, please implement the Practice Giving programme in your practice.
