This week we made several announcements at the College: we’ll be freezing our membership fees for the seventh consecutive year; introducing our Member Code of Conduct; and launching a new opportunity for members, organisations and the public to support the College’s research.
I’m very proud that we can offer our members more services for their membership fee than ever before. While keeping our fees at the same level, we have continued to increase our offer year on year. This year members will benefit from more patient leaflets, new local event formats, a bigger annual conference and a new website in the coming months, with a greater focus on members’ personal interests and more online CPD. Driven by our members, we strive to provide the best value for money with a range of quality services which support each and every member.
We’ve always known research was a very important part of our offer. In fact, the College has played a vital role in some of the most important optometric research completed in the UK, providing millions of pounds in financial support for projects over the past 30 years in order to develop the evidence base for the profession. We have funded a wide range of projects; from big national projects that you’ll read about in the media, such as the NICER study, which is the UK’s most significant contribution to myopia prevalence data to date, to smaller grants such as travel bursaries and collaborative awards which have enabled UK optometrists to present their research around the world, raising the profile of the profession here.
It is now more important than ever that we develop evidence that is capable of advancing the profession. To contribute to the Research Fund, visit the College’s donation page college-optometrists.org/research-fund.