Optrafair to stage auction for charity

A 'clipboard auction' which will have equipment bargains has been announced as one of the new attractions at this year's Optrafair.

Birmingham Optical, Essilor, Hilco Europe, Mainline Optical, Norville Autoflow, Topcon and Weco have all been generous and donated equipment for the Wiseman Memorial Trust's Optical Workers' Benevolent Fund.

Funds raised during the auction will boost resources for the trust, which has been established to help any optical workers who find themselves in distressed circumstances.

Delighted with the equipment already donated, show organisers, the FMO, are urging other companies to be benevolent.

'Our generous sponsorship of the main optical charities at the show should be a spur for companies to put something aside for the benefit of the less fortunate.

'Optrafair is a commercial time, but there is space for some charity too,' said FMO chairman Malcolm Polley.

Clive Stone, chairman of the Wiseman Memorial Fund, said: 'Endorsed by the Charity Commission, the fund is to help those within the optical community who fall on hard times but are outside the remit of the professional optical association charities.'

Products to be auctioned include: Birmingham Optical ... Clinical Instruments; Essilor ... Digital Pupilometer; Hilco Europe ... Tempmaster Frame Heater; Mainline Optical ... 15 Pot Tint Unit; Norville Autoflow ... Ultrasonic Cleaning Bath and Plier Set; Topcon ... Lensmeter; Weco ... Hand Edger.

The auction will take place on stand N8, with the winners to be announced some time on Monday.

To contribute to the auction, donate money, or to inform the fund of any optical worker in distressed circumstances, contact The Wiseman Memorial Fund on telephone: 020 7298 5123.