15 December 2025
From Northern Ireland to London via Lancashire, independent optometry practices were at the forefront of their communities in 2025.
Here, OT looks back at a year that saw practice teams step out from behind the slit lamp and the reception desk, and take on charity initiatives from staff sports days to dispenses at local community festivals.
Brain haemorrhage awareness in January
In January, OT reported how independent practice group Suzanne Dennis Optometrist, which has three practices in Greater Manchester and Lancashire, raised both awareness and funds for the Natalie Kate Moss Trust (NKMT).
NKMFT is a brain haemorrhage charity, set up in 2012 after 26-year-old Natalie Kate Moss, from Parbold, died after an unexpected brain haemorrhage.
The practice group hosted a week-long fundraising initiative, which included donating a proportion of frame sales to the trust, as well as a raffle.
Free blood pressure monitoring was also offered to patients during the week.
Read about how Suzanne Dennis Optometrist supported NKMFT in both 2025 and 2024 here.
Supporting children and young people with learning disabilities in Leicestershire
Edmonds & Slatter Opticians raised more than £100 for Menphys, a local charity for children with disabilities, through its winter fundraising campaign, OT reported in February.
Menphys is a long-established charity that supports services for children and young adults with additional needs and disabilities in Leicestershire.
Funds raised by Edmonds & Slatter Opticians through the winter were used, amongst other things, to host an ‘inclusive afternoon tea’ for Mother’s Day in March.
Linda Southin, operations manager at Edmonds & Slatter, said: “As independent opticians, engaging with our community is crucial.”
She added: “Our team has generously volunteered their time for these charity events, and we are proud to support Menphys.”
VCHP staff and volunteers raise £11,500 with overnight fundraising walk
VCHP joined with other London Homeless Collective charities for the marathon-length fundraising walk
The Big Spectacle Relay: raising awareness of eye health via 260 optometry practices
The summer saw a giant pair of yellow spectacles crossing Northern Ireland – and attempting to visit every optometry practice in the country along the way.
Organised by Optometry Northern Ireland, The Big Spectacle Relay had a dual purpose: raising money for the Royal National Institute of Blind People, but also increasing awareness of the importance of eye health ahead of September’s National Eye Health Week.
The spectacles began their journey in Coleraine and ended it at Stormont, where Optometry Northern Ireland held an event with members of the Northern Ireland Assembly on Tuesday 23 September.
They were moved from practice to practice, across Northern Ireland, by practice team members.
Brian McKeown, chair of Optometry Northern Ireland, told OT at the time that: “We're doing this to raise awareness of eye care and promote all community optometrists.”
Read OT’s full coverage of The Big Spectacle Relay here.
Optometrist to run ‘Custard Corner Marathon’ challenge
Dr Ian Beasley is raising money for the Samaritans by running a marathon distance around a 0.045 mile stretch of road
An all-staff summer sports day
The sports day, which took place in Lisvane, Cardiff, saw around 50 practice team colleagues and family members attend.
Julian Davies Opticians is a collection of Hakim Group independent practices, with seven locations across south east Wales.
Cardiff-based Velindre Cancer Charity received a £500 donation as a result of the day of fundraising.
Chris Tannorella, managing director at Julian Davies Opticians, told OT: “Julian Davies Opticians has always been about more than eye care: it’s about people. Our team, our patients, and our local communities are all part of the same story.
“Sports day was a fantastic chance to get outdoors, support other local businesses, and spend time with our families, while also making sure a local charity benefited too.”
The event is something that the group will look to hold again and build upon in the future, Tannorella added.
Vision screening and dispensing in the local community
Street Fest is a one-day event, held in September and organised by Streets Kitchen, a charity that provides support services to those experiencing homelessness.
Bansri Shah, dispensing optician and practice director of Eyelink Opticians, told OT: “We wanted to use it as an opportunity to make eye care accessible to everyone, including those who might not visit an optician otherwise.”
She added: “Vision affects every part of daily life – from confidence to safety – and good vision can change someone’s life.”
As an independent optician, it is important for Eyelink to give back and make eye care inclusive, Shah said.
She added: “Seeing how something as small as a free eye test can change someone’s life reminds us why we do what we do – and motivates us to keep reaching more people.”
Professor David Thomson on volunteering at a community cafe
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