NEHW approaches

Organisers of National Eye Health Week (NEHW) are calling on practitioners to get involved in the annual initiative, which takes place in less than six weeks time. 

Held from 21–27 September, the awareness campaign enters its sixth year and aims to raise people’s awareness of the importance of eye health and how lifestyle habits can affect sight. 

On Monday (10 August), organisers will launch a new range of supporter resources which will support practitioners during the week. Accessible via the campaign’s website, the materials will include flyers on men’s and women’s eye health, a guide to dry eyes and an Amsler grid. 

A number of organisations have already pledged their support to the initiative, with the Royal National Institute of Blind People, in partnership with the Thomas Pocklington Trust and Sutton Vision, taking its ‘Eye Pod’ sight loss simulator onto the High Street.   

Speaking about the initiative, chair of NEHW, David Cartwright, told OT: “There are lots of ways individuals and organisations can participate in the week and encourage everyone to have regular sight tests and make simple lifestyle changes that benefit their vision and eye health. 

“From signing up to the NEHW Twitter Thunderclap – an automated tweet which will be posted simultaneously on all registered Twitter accounts at 11am on 21 September – to using our supporter resource pack materials to reach out to your local community, taking part is easy and best of all, free.”