A Midsomer Norton Optometrist will be travelling to Chisinau in Moldova this July to provide free eye care to hundreds of impoverished people in remote villages.

Louise Richards, who practises at Eyetech Opticians on The Island, Midsomer Norton, is heading out to the Eastern European country as part of an initiative organised by Cardiff University. Her visit to Moldova is being sponsored by Eyetech.

Louise will be visiting Moldova as supervisor of a small team of eye care professionals and optometry students, with the aim of helping as many people as possible over the five-day trip. The team expect to help around 300 people a day, from children to the elderly, that would otherwise struggle to access eye care and glasses.

Louise and her team will run clinics throughout their stay where local residents can attend to have a free sight test and be prescribed glasses, if needed. Many visitors to the clinic will have never had a sight test and are in desperate need of corrective eyewear to help them attend school, go to work, drive safely, and give them back their independence.

Louise said: “I am looking forward to returning to Moldova and providing eye care services to local people in need. These clinics really do change people’s lives, and it is incredibly rewarding to see first-hand the impact of a sight test and the right pair of glasses. I would like to thank Eyetech Opticians for their support which has made this trip possible.”