FODO's John Thorpe awarded an MBE

The citation recorded that Mr Thorpe had been awarded Member of the Order of the British Empire 'for services to optometry and to the community in Osmaston by Ashbourne, Derbyshire'. Mr Thorpe, who was appointed vice president of the Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians last month, was its chairman until then. He is also involved in the companies committee of the General Optical Council and the independent committee of management of the Optical Consumer Complaints Service. Until recently he served on the development committee of the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers Mr Thorpe was a director of his family's optical business, Lancaster & Thorpe, until its purchase by Rayner last September. He now runs a small property investment and management company. He said that since his family had been involved in optics for more than a century the profession was 'in the blood' and he was happily surprised to be honoured in this way. - Optical charity fundraiser Christopher Friend has also been awarded an MBE Mr Friend, blinded by an industrial accident when 18, has worked for Sight Savers International for more than 30 years. Today, he travels across the globe on behalf of the charity, and is also special projects consultant for Sight Savers. Among his other honours, Mr Friend was the first blind person to be awarded the Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship.