Many people struggle without glasses and volunteer members from the Lions Clubs in our area have responded to their District Governor, Keith Wilding’s request by helping to collect thousands of pairs of no-longer-needed spectacles.

In one day alone, at their annual Convention in March, a total of 7,500 pairs were

collected. The gift of sight is a large part of the work of Lions Clubs within its communities. Sounds like a big ask, but by the simple activity of collecting used spectacles, 1,500 people will directly benefit.

Keith Wilding and his wife, Sue, were able to drive to France to deliver the spectacles directly to the Lions Clubs of Normandy, their twin District. They have developed a facility for the spectacles to be sorted, graded and the reusable pairs distributed to clinics and eye camps in communities across Africa, India, the Far East and Eastern Europe, in partnership with Medico France. Some pairs that cannot be directly reused are recycled and this project raises financial support for eye-related projects at both home and overseas.

The value of this is that it means people who cannot see clearly will have their vision improved, their independence returned and the ability to lead a productive life ahead of them.

As District Governer, Keith said: “I had a vision – to improve the sight of those who cannot see clearly today. To date, we have now collected over 50,000 pairs of spectacles and with this simple activity of collecting what would otherwise be thrown away, the Lion members have done something amazing for others and made a real difference.”

In the last year, Radstock and Midsomer Norton Lions have collected nearly 1,000 spectacles. You can help with this by simply placing your old spectacles in collection boxes which can be found in all the local opticians.

Trevor Hipwood