Posts tagged with "Barrow"

An optician helped to fit hundreds of Africans with free glasses on a two-week mercy mission.

Conlons' Barrow branch manager Ian Hechle joined a group of experts on a trip to Ghana to test and fit free glasses with the Eye Aid for Africa charity.

Along with Conlons staff from the Liverpool and Formby stores, Mr Hechle helped to set up a new glazing workshop and performed hundreds of eye tests in Kumasi, one of the country's poorest regions.

Mr Hechle, who is already planning his next visit to Africa, said: "The need for eyecare spreads across all generations and in Africa access to optical services, as well as cost, prohibits many from being able to see clearly if at all.

"Our trip to Ghana was hugely rewarding and we saw countless patients who can now read for the first time as a result of the glasses we have given them.

"We would like to thank Zeiss for their donation of 2,000 lenses and their support of this fantastic project."

The group, which also included eye surgeons Patrick Joyce, Optometrist' in the Conlons glossary" href="/glossary/Optometrist">optometrist Barry Partridge and his wife Patti, stopped at a local convent and handed out more than 1,500 pairs of glasses during the visit.

The team saw countless patients ranging from young children who have never had an eye test to adults employed as crane and taxi drivers.

Conlons donated two complete sets of glazing equipment and manufacturer Zeiss has donated 2,000 lenses to be used for the glasses.

Andrew Hinslewood, national sales manager from Zeiss said: "Children simply cannot learn if they can't see the blackboard and we are delighted to have been able to help with this most important campaign."

About 2.6m people in West Africa are blind, but about three quarter could have their sight saved with the right medical help.

The provision of health care in Ghana is poor, compounded in a lot of cases by an inability to pay for what little services are available.

Eye Aid for Africa is a specialist charity set up by Alice Joyce from Conlons and her husband, Patrick who, for the last 10 years, with the voluntary support of British Medical and eyecare professionals, have performed numerous cataract operations and dispensed thousands of second hand spectacles in the south of Ghana Near' in the Conlons glossary" href="/glossary/Near">near the capital city, Accra.

CLASSY GLASSES: Ian Hechle, manager of Conlons Opticians in Dalton Road, Barrow, visited the reception class at Brisbane Park School, in Barrow, to teach the children about eye care and how to look after their eyes.

Pictured trying out some new frames are Morgan Miles and Mason Waite.

A BARROW optician is set to travel to Africa with a team of eye experts to help tackle blindness.

Ian Hechle from Conlons Opticians in Dalton Road will travel to Ghana this month on behalf of the Eye Aid for Africa charity to launch a new glazing workshop and visit a host of villages to offer help to those in need of eyecare.

Conlons donated two complete sets of glazing equipment and manufacturer Zeiss has donated 2,000 lenses to be used for the glasses.

During the two-week trip, Mr Hechle will be joined by Conlons optometrists Alice Joyce from the Formby branch and Karen McGowan from the Liverpool branch.

The taskforce of eye experts will perform more than 700 eye tests as well as helping to produce and distribute more than 1,500 pairs of glasses to people Near' in the Conlons glossary" href="/glossary/Near">near Kumasi in central Ghana.

They will also be accompanied by Optometrist' in the Conlons glossary" href="/glossary/Optometrist">optometrist Barry Partridge and his wife Patti, who dispenses spectacles, and eye surgeon Patrick Joyce.

The team will see countless patients ranging from young children, who have never had an eye test before, who will be given the gift of better sight, to adults such as crane and taxi drivers, who rely on their sight for their livelihoods, who will have their Vision' in the Conlons glossary" href="/glossary/Vision ">vision corrected with glasses or cataract surgery if required.

Mr Hechle, who visited the African country in 2010 for the same charity, said: "We are delighted to have the support of Zeiss this year with their most generous donation of lenses.

"In Africa, access to optical services, as well as cost, prohibits many from being able to see clearly, if at all and the team and I are looking forward to being able to help people on this trip."

Eye Aid for Africa is a specialist charity set up by Mrs Joyce and her husband, Patrick who, for the last 10 years, with the voluntary support of British medical and eyecare professionals have performed numerous cataract operations and dispensed thousands of secondhand spectacles in the south of Ghana Near' in the Conlons glossary" href="/glossary/Near">near the capital city, Accra.

About 2.6 million people in West Africa are blind, but about three quarters could have their sight saved with the right medical help.

Andrew Hinslewood, national sales manager at Zeiss, said: "The need for eye care spreads across all generations. Children simply cannot learn if they can't see the blackboard and we are delighted to have been able to help with this most important compaign."