Essilor signs up for Aston Villa FC’s eye health initiative

An eye health initiative run by Aston Villa Football Club has pledged to provide corrective lenses to children identified with vision problems.

As sponsor of the scheme, Essilor has donated and fitted a mobile eye care van with optical equipment to provide eye examinations.

The Villa Vision Van would tour schools and community venues across Birmingham to deliver interactive lessons, educational materials and vision screening to hundreds of children each term.

Aston University’s optometry school has also partnered with the initiative to share clinical and research expertise, as well as collect data from the screenings for myopia research.

Nikhil Sonpal, Villa Vision project manager and optometrist, said: ‘We believe that every child should be given the visual foundation to succeed. Children may not always recognise whether there is something wrong with their vision and it is particularly damaging if vision problems go undetected.