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Help the World to See

Specavers Opticas launches national campaign to collect 3,000 pairs of used glasses in three months for Lions Club Spain

10th October 2013

Today Specsavers Opticas are marking World Sight Day by launching a campaign to improve the sight of the world’s poorest people by collecting thousands of glasses to send to developing countries. They have set the ambitious target of collecting 3,000 pairs of glasses over a three month campaign to help those in Africa and India where people desperately need access to glasses.

After the glasses are donated in store they are sent to the Lions Club’s recycling plant in Alicante where they are first separated into single vision, bifocals, varifocals and sunglasses. They are then graded according to prescription strength, cleaned and boxed for distribution.

Lions Club representatives are located across many developing countries including Africa and India. They test the eyes of locals and send requests for the required prescription glasses onto the fulfilment plant. Lions Club International collects around 70,000 pairs of glasses to be re-dispensed every year, with each one being donated and hand selected for specific people in need.

Janette Bennett, president of the Torrevieja Costa Lions Club commented: ‘There is always a shortage of glasses in developing countries as they have no medical support, so Specsavers’ donations are absolutely vital to people with poor vision and we hope the whole community will get behind the campaign and not let their old glasses go to waste.’

All eight Specsavers Opticas stores in Spain will be acting as collection points for used glasses. There are four stores (Calpe, Javea, Benidorm, Guardamar del Segura and Torrevieja) on the Costa Blanca. They have others in Marbella and Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol and Santa Ponça in Mallorca. To find your nearest store visit www.specsavers.es

For more information on the Lions Club International and to find your local branch visit www.lionsclubs.org