Specsavers Richmond collecting second-hand glasses for good cause

The project comes as recent studies from the World Health Organisation show visual impairment from uncorrected refractive errors can have immediate and long-term consequences for children and adults, including include lost educational and employment opportunities.

The report found 101.2 million people around the world were visually impaired as a result of not having access to glasses to correct simple vision problems, and this has led to 6.8 million people living with blindness.

Specsavers Richmond co-owner Leanne Maree Lundt said it was “shocking to think that there are people out there who are going blind simply because they don’t have access to  affordable corrective eyewear.”

“When you’re living in the third world, the simple ability to see can make a world of difference. It can even mean the difference between whether a family can afford to eat or not,” she said.

“What we’re encouraging locals to give is far more than simply their pre-loved glasses, it is the gift of hope and a future.”

Lions Recycle for Sight is part of the Lions Clubs International Worldwide Eyeglass Recycling Program, headquartered in Queensland and operating throughout Australia.

They receive requests from humanitarian organisations either travelling to a third world country or supplying shipping container loads of suitable humanitarian aid from Australia to groups in the third world.

Quality second-hand glasses are refurbished, cleaned and distributed to people in need, and those that cannot be used are recycled.

Richmond Specsavers aims to collect 100 pairs of glasses each month, however “the more we can collect, the better because every pair of glasses we collect will make a significant difference,” said Ms Lundt.