In a bid to make eye care more accessible within the local community, Specsavers Bishop Auckland hosted a dedicated in-store clinic for people experiencing homelessness in County Durham, supported by team members from the Barnard Castle and Newton Aycliffe branches.
Held on 28 September at the Bishop Auckland store on 45 Newgate Street, the event offered free eye tests and glasses, providing a calm and welcoming space where visitors could speak to healthcare professionals and receive the support they needed.
As part of a nationwide campaign for World Homeless Day, which takes place on 10 October, more than 180 Specsavers stores and Home Visits businesses will hold out-of-hours or pop-up clinics and invite those affected by any form of homelessness to make use of their services.
In partnership with local charity, Angel Trust, the clinic welcomed several members of the local community. Those who popped into the store were offered a sight test, OCT scan and glasses.
This clinic was part of Specsavers’ wider homelessness programme to mark World Homeless Day by continuing to improve access to eye care for people experiencing homelessness or facing other barriers to care – whether financial, residential or not being eligible for NHS support.
Tamsin Wood, retail manager at Specsavers Barnard Castle, says:
‘To mark World Homeless Day, we were pleased to host our first dedicated clinic to offer our services to people experiencing homelessness.
‘I am incredibly proud of the team and grateful to Angel Trust who helped make this possible. It is our long-term aim to ensure that everyone can access free, appropriate eye and hearing care which ultimately will help improve quality of life.
‘Specsavers as a business, and as a local team within the Bishop Auckland and wider Durham community, is committed to making healthcare accessible to everyone. I really hope that this helps raise awareness of the issue and the current barriers people are facing.’
Clair McGregor, founder and CEO of Angel Trust, says:
‘Angel Trust relies on the generous support of our local community to help us do the work that we do and we are extremely grateful to the teams at Specsavers Bishop Auckland, Barnard Castle and Newton Aycliffe for organising the clinic.
‘Many of the people we support go years without an eye test, relying on broken or ill-fitting glasses, which puts their long-term eye health at risk. Being able to access free eye care in a welcoming and safe space has not just improved vision, it’s given people a renewed sense of confidence and community.
‘Whether it’s a safe place to stay for the night, or just a friendly voice on the phone, we’re here to offer support to those who need it most across County Durham and Darlington and we hope to participate in further clinics with Specsavers in future.’
As well as running eye and ear care clinics across stores outside of World Homeless Day, Specsavers also collaborates with Crisis, Vision Care, Big Issue and other homelessness services to create long-term solutions to remove healthcare barriers.
Specsavers is also calling for changes to government policy to remove unnecessary barriers that make it difficult for people experiencing homelessness to access the eye and ear care they need. Long term plans include influencing policy and systems, so people affected have access to free ear checks, eye tests and glasses, and replacement glasses if broken, lost or stolen.
To find out more, visit specsavers.co.uk/news-and-information/community/homelessness or contact your local Specsavers store at 01388 606080 or https://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/bishopauckland.
