Specsavers Derry holds second out-of-hours clinic for people experiencing homelessness

In an effort to raise awareness of homelessness in Northern Ireland and provide accessible eye care within the local community, Specsavers in Derry held their second out-of-hours clinic for people experiencing homelessness in the area.   

The clinic took place in line with the official launch of the second year of the initiative, which has seen every Simon Community accommodation service in Northern Ireland undertake a clinic with their local Specsavers store.   

In partnership with Simon Community and the North West Methodist Mission, the clinic held at Specsavers Derry welcomed eight patients for a sight test outside of usual business hours, with Sean McCauley, director at Specsavers Ferryquay Street and Specsavers Crescent Link, delivering pairs of glasses to five people, who needed a prescription. The store’s local Home Visits and Audiology partners also attended the clinic to provide hearing checks and hearing aids, if required.   

The store was also supported by Doherty’s Meats and The Sandwich Co. who supplied sandwiches and sweet treats for the patients.  

As part of a nationwide campaign for World Homeless Day, which took place on October 10, the Specsavers Derry stores are two of over 100 Specsavers stores across the UK and Ireland to hold a clinic for people affected by any form of homelessness to make use of their services.    

This clinic was part of Specsavers’ wider homelessness programme and mission to improve access to eye care for people experiencing homelessness or facing other barriers to care – whether financial, residential or not being eligible for NHS support.   

Sean McCauley commented: "This is the second clinic we have provided at our store, and I am incredibly proud to work closely with Simon Community and their Derry team who helped make this possible. It is our long-term aim to ensure that everyone can access free, appropriate eye care which ultimately will help improve quality of life.   

"Specsavers as a business, and as a local team within the Derry/ community, is committed to making healthcare accessible to everyone. I really hope that this helps raise awareness of the issue and the current barriers people are facing."

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Rebekah Barr from Simon Community added: “We’re proud to celebrate the first full year of our partnership with Specsavers, whose dedicated teams and experts have been providing eye testing and dispensing services to people experiencing homelessness across Northern Ireland.

“By reaching people where they are, these clinics break down the barriers that often prevent people from accessing eye care. With 83% of the people tested found to need prescription lenses, the impact this service makes is clear. As we begin the second year of clinic delivery, we look forward to continuing this partnership and helping even more people access essential eye care.” 

As well as running eye care clinics across stores and accommodation services outside of World Homeless Day, Specsavers also collaborates with Crisis, Simon Community, Big Issue and other homelessness services to create long-term solutions to remove healthcare barriers.   

Specsavers is also calling for changes to government policy to remove unnecessary barriers that make it difficult for people experiencing homelessness to access the eye and ear care they need. Long term plans include influencing policy and systems, so people affected have access to free ear checks, eye tests and glasses, and replacement glasses if broken, lost or stolen.   

To find out more, visit specsavers.co.uk/news-and-information/community/homelessness or contact Specsavers Derry Ferryquay Street and Specsavers Crescent Link on 028 7137 1851.