Eye Week's success defies industry apathy

The EIS reported an 'incredible uptake' by the broadcast media, and though it has not yet counted the number of printed stories, said there had been a 'phenomenal' response to the 800 press packs sent out. There was coverage on 35 radio stations, which highlighted the Week's two main campaigns - the changes to contact lenses, and age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). The latter generated a 'huge' amount of interest according to an EIS spokesman, with enquiries being directed to an AMD telephone helpline. The television coverage focused on a third campaign - the way in which vision problems can impair children's learning. Manchester-based regional news programme Granada Tonight broadcast a feature on how children's education had suffered because of their eyesight, and were now receiving remedial schooling. The bulk of the Week's funding was spent on the national poster campaign - sponsored by Johnson & Johnson and Seven Seas - and the smaller replicas which were sent to 7,000 registered practitioners. The EIS spokesman said: 'We wanted some way of allowing everyone, whether they were an EIS member or not, to participate in one of the campaigns. It is impossible to say how successful that poster campaign was, but we saw a lot of them around.' He said he had been surprised that practitioners were unaware that the Week was taking place (optician, September 29). 'It's a sad reflection on the apathy that exists in the profession in response to Eye Week and the EIS in general because everyone received the posters and literature. 'With greater support we could do a great deal more. Considering the support that the EIS gets, we've managed to put on a very credible Eye Week.' This year's Eye Week may be the last before EIS becomes a charity in an aim to generate more sponsorship and run more campaigns.