Specsavers Clondalkin, Liffey Valley and Maynooth have introduced Tap to Donate machines in-store to raise funds with the help of new and existing customers. Those willing to support can tap their debit or credit card at the machine in-store. Specsavers’ relationship with The Hope Foundation began in 2017 when Lisa Walsh, decided to embark on a mission, along with other Specsavers colleagues, to help provide accessible eyecare to those less fortunate in Kolkata, India.
Through Lisa’s missions with Hope Hospital in Kolkata, Lisa witnessed first-hand how many people were suffering from lack of access to basic eye care. Thousands of people were suffering from easily preventable and treatable eye conditions, with many simply needing glasses to vastly improve their daily quality of life. The Hope Foundation are Specsavers long term charity partner and with the help of donations from customers and Specsavers themselves, The Hope Foundation has so far been able to conduct over 161 free eye check-up camps treating over 27,110 people, dispensed over 15,000 pairs of glasses and provided over 9,910 free medicines to patients. It has also performed almost 1,300 eye surgeries in the Hope hospital and treated 7,552 patients through 430 eye clinics at Hope hospital which was only made possible because of customer donations in Specsavers stores across the country.
Specsavers stores are looking to fundraise as much as possible so that they can continue to support the running of the HOPE Eye Clinic in Kolkata and the purchase of much-needed equipment for the Hope Hospital to provide high-quality eye care to underprivileged people in Kolkata.
The Hope Foundation spokesperson, Jennifer Foran Smyth, says: ‘We are thankful to every single store that helps to raise vital funds for our charity. Our partnership with Specsavers has been very important to us. It has allowed us to provide support to many people suffering with their eyesight in Kolkata and we are forever grateful for that. We wish Specsavers Clondalkin, Liffey Valley and Maynooth the best of luck with their fundraising and trip to Kolkata in November.’
The Hope Foundation Ireland is a registered Irish charity working with street and slum children in Kolkata. The charity works to free children and poor families from lives of pain, abuse, poverty and darkness and seeks to improve their lives by providing access to healthcare and nutrition, education, drug rehabilitation, protection, emergency response and life skills and training. With the help of Specsavers and The Hope Foundation, improved eye care will be made available to the children and families living in the slums and in HOPE hospital in Kolkata.
For more information or to make a donation please visit Specsavers Specsavers Clondalkin (01) 405 6200, Specsavers Liffey Valley (01) 616 6006 or Specsavers Maynooth (01) 693 2200 or visit https://www.specsavers.ie/
