A WEEK-long volunteering trip to India which provided eyecare to over 3,000 people, was a ‘privilege’ to be involved in, said Marie Burke, an optician and director at Specsavers in Bandon and Ballincollig.
Deirdre Moore, the retail director at Specsavers Bandon, Ballincollig and Wilton, also joined the team of volunteers that travelled to Kolkata to visit local communities and work in the Hope Hospital Eye Clinic.
During the trip, the team of opticians gave eye checks to 3,120 patients, dispensed over 2,203 glasses, and in more severe cases, referred patients to Hope Hospital for surgery.
‘I’m so grateful for the opportunity to return to Kolkata with The Hope Foundation this year,’ Marie said. Their work alongside street communities is truly transformative, changing lives for the better. It was a privilege to witness the impact of our support, especially the gift of sight we helped provide to hundreds. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this possible.’
Specsavers have raised over €200,000 this year to help sustain the eye clinic in Kolkata, and have contributed over €500,000 since 2017.
Maureen Forrest, founder of the Hope Foundation, explained that the programme is the ‘difference between life and death’ to people who can’t feed their families.
‘Vision is everything to people and for us to be able to support them in their vision journey is a great privilege,’ she said.
The Hope Foundation Ireland works to improve the lives of children and poor families by providing access to healthcare and nutrition, education, drug rehabilitation and life skills and training.
Specsavers recently won an award for best corporate charity partnership at the Charities Institute Ireland’s Charity Excellence Awards 2024, for their ongoing relationship and support of The Hope Foundation.
