VAO urges profession to help change lives

Vision Aid Overseas plans to increase dramatically the number of people it helps and will use its Silver Jubilee celebrations next year as a springboard to expand the ways it works with the profession.

Marcus Swalwell, the new chairman of the outreach vision care charity, said that 670 million people around the world were in need of eye care. So far the charity has provided spectacles for one million people. ‘We aim to expand that dramatically.’

He said that while the outreach project would continue there would be a bigger emphasis on fundraising. That money would be used to provide training for refractionists and to build workshops. This would enable people in places such as Africa to provide spectacles to those that need them on a much larger scale than was currently possible.

Speaking to Optician, Swalwell said the arrival of the new chief executive, Natalie Briggs, had put a much bigger emphasis on fundraising. This didn’t mean the outreach projects would be diminished in any way. ‘People getting involved is a very important part but money is important as well.’

In addition to outreach projects he wants to see UK optical professionals getting involved in teaching optical skills to those in areas of need and optical practices spreading the message to the public about Vision Aid Overseas work and raising funds.

The celebrations for the charity’s 25th year will include an anniversary ball at the Royal Exchange in London. The ball, entitled Joy of Vision, will be a celebration of the achievements made by Vision Aid Overseas in the last quarter century.

‘We want to thank people and raise money as well,’ said Swalwell.