KSC192 See A Way to Support Vision Aid Overseas

Supporting Vision Aid Overseas

Following an appeal at our quarterly countywide meeting, the Knights from Southend-on-Sea agreed to support a collection of used spectacles for the charity Vision Aid Overseas; a charity that were supported both nationwide and locally by the Knights back in 2009 to 2011 as our then current National Action Project.

Vision Aid Overseas runs a nationwide spectacle collection scheme which operates to raise money for Vision Aid Overseas. Recycled spectacles are not sent overseas and Vision Aid Overseas ensure spectacles are recycled in an environmentally-friendly way and income generated from recycling is used to support their programmes overseas.

With posters provided by the charity we prepared collection boxes all nicely packaged and labelled up and quickly asked a handful of different Catholic and Anglican parishes around the borough of Southend-on-Sea for support for a collection in their respective churches and parishes. The response we received was amazing especially considering we were limited in the amount of boxes and posters we had available to spread around.

Collections took place in the Catholic parishes of Our Lady of Lourdes in Leigh-on-Sea, Saint Helens in Westcliff, Sacred Heart in Southchurch and Saint John Fishers in Prittlewell along with the Anglican parishes of Saint James the Great in Leigh-on-Sea, and Saint Lukes in Prittlewell. With the two deliveries of spectacles taken to Williams Opticians in Elm Road, Leigh-on-Sea, in total we collected close to 300 pairs of used spectacles for Williams Opticians to pass on to the charity and they were very accommodating and supportive of the whole appeal. This was a fantastic way for many people in the Southend area to come together to show Christian unity and solidarity for those less fortunate.

First batch collected in October - almost 70 pairs

We could have opted to take the collections to a national chain of opticians who also work with Vision Aid but locally Williams Opticians have a great reputation. We asked them about their work with the charity and they responded, "Williams Opticians are pleased to continue their association with Vision Aid  Overseas. It is a worth while cause offering those less fortunate the chance of sight, something that we take for granted. This donation of 230 pairs goes together with hundreds already collected in the past."

Handing over our second batch to the owner of Williams Opticians - Paul Gallivan

The collection took place over a number of weeks in the run up to Advent, but in many of the parishes, the support has kept coming even after the posters and boxes had been removed which goes to show the charity that can be found around Southend-on-Sea especially at a time when most people were pre-occupied with their Christmas celebrations and preparations.

Vision Aid overseas can be found on the internet at www.visionaidoverseas.org

Williams Opticians can be visited in person at 90 Elm Rd, Leigh-on-Sea SS9 1SJ and
online at www.williamsopticians.com