Comment: New names on the shortlist

Every year Optician invites its readers, through the Optician Awards, to share some of their highlights and best practice and every year we are excited and surprised by the results.

This year has been no different and we have been astounded by the scale and quality of entries to the 2010 Optician Awards. Last year was a tricky time by anyone's standards but there can be no better measure of the health of the profession and the ambition of its members than the number and quality of entries to the awards.

More exciting still is the breadth of topics covered by the awards and variety of entrants. There are many new names entering the pantheon of Optician Awards shortlistees this year which is heartening to see. We have also created new categories but the appetite for entrants is undiminished with some of our newer categories drawing the greatest response.