Opticians donates 1% of sales to charity

An independent opticians in Belfast that pledged to donate 1% of its weekly sales to Vision Aid Overseas (VAO) has raised almost £1500 to date – enough to test the sight of, and provide spectacles to, 300 people. 

Speaking about the ongoing pledge, which started at the beginning of the year, optometrist and owner of Jonathan Hall Opticians, Jonathan Hall, explained that the practice team realised how many people they could help gain access to eye care by donating a small amount regularly. 

“It took less than 10 minutes to set up our own fundraising page on the VAO website,” Mr Hall said, adding: “Every Monday, we simply add our donation.”

Commenting on the initiative, fundraising officer at VAO, Sarah Namusobya, said: “Jonathan Hall Opticians is a really good example of how effortless fundraising for a charity can be for a practice or any business.” 

“When most people think about fundraising, they automatically think of it as a lot of work and organisation. However, it can be as easy as counting the number of glasses you sell in a month or week and agreeing to donate a percentage to help give sight to some of Africa’s most isolated and vulnerable communities,” she concluded