Cardiff-based independent Pearce & Blackmore is on a hot streak at the Optician Awards. In 2022, practice owner Clare Pearce was named Optometrist of the Year and the following year, the practice took home the Social Media Practice of the Year Award.
At the most recent ceremony, the practice had its biggest night yet with two awards wins, one of which was the Sustainability Award.
Sustainability is nothing new to the independent, however. When Optician visited the practice for the Workplace Guide in 2023, Pearce highlighted a number of initiatives she and co-owner Francesca Blackmore, pictured, had introduced.
Among them was a pre-loved frames display called New to Me where second-hand, reconditioned models offer an eco-alternative to spectacles wearers.
As well as stocking eyewear by brands with sustainability at their core, such as Feb 31st, Coral and Eco, the practice does not automatically give out a case with new frames to reduce waste and recently added a refillable lens spray station.
It is these smaller, yet still mindful, efforts that set Pearce & Blackmore apart from a strong shortlist during the judging process.
‘I was thrilled to be recognised for our sustainable efforts as it can sometimes feel like you’re a small fish in a big pond when it comes to this. It was a real encouragement to us and shows that everyone can make a difference, no matter how big or how small,’ Pearce tells Optician.
Business benefits
Over time, Pearce & Blackmore has considered how to be more sustainable in practice across many different areas.
Staff were encouraged to leave their cars at home and salaries were amended to cover the costs of public transport with any driving miles tallied each month – totalling only 3,721 miles in 2023. Loose leaf tea and refillable cleaning products are used in the kitchen, and garden spaces at its two sites are filled with wildflowers to encourage pollinators.
Pearce says looking at the practice’s paper usage was one of the simplest tasks they considered that made the biggest difference to how much waste they generate.
‘Asking patients for email addresses takes only a minute but means we can go paper-free when recalling them. This actually doubled up as a great business decision as the percentage of booked appointments was significantly higher when the reminder letter was received by email, rather than post, and the cost to the business is nothing, compared to printing and posting a letter.
‘We’ve used our practice management system to default to an email reminder first, then text message reminder and only to use a printed letter in the absence of other contact information or on the patient’s request,’ Pearce explains.
She adds that winning an Optician Award has helped facilitate conversations with patients about sustainability as they like to share in the success and the trophy makes a good starting point for discussion.
Appraising the practice
‘Next on the list is to look at the efficiency of the building with regards to heating it in the winter. One of our practices is a very old building so it gets very cold during the winter.
‘This winter, we installed a curtain over our very cold storeroom and it was unbelievable how much less energy was required to heat the practice and how much warmer it was. It’s led us to look at other areas we could do something similar and see if we can reduce our energy consumption,’ Pearce says.
Pearce shares that it feels amazing to be recognised for what they have worked hard at and are passionate about.
‘The Sustainability Award gives us the opportunity to shout about something a bit different to the clinical services we offer and that can also encourage business we may not have connected with yet. Entering the awards gives you a great opportunity to appraise what you’re doing and you may find areas you can work on or parts that you’re really proud of,’ Pearce concludes.
