Charity week volunteer drive

To mark Small Charity Week, which begins on Monday (14 June), Vision Care for Homeless People (VCHP) has launched a drive calling for optometrist volunteers who can provide eye examinations at its Manchester and Leeds city centre clinics.

The charity, which provides free eye care to homeless people and has eight clinics across the UK, is seeking practitioners who can volunteer on regular days.

VCHP confirmed that it has begun a phased reopening of its services, with its clinic in Leeds now open and London’s Skylight-based centre returning this month. Preparations to reopen its Manchester base are in motion and clinics in Exeter, Birmingham and Brighton will follow, it said.

VCHP general manager, David Brown, explained: “We are a small charity but with over 100 volunteers helping out when all our clinics are running, we can provide a vital service to homeless people.”

He added: “We are preparing volunteers to return to clinic. We have a thorough risk assessment procedure and by working with our host centres are able to provide as safe a service as possible. This is very rewarding for everyone – our patients really appreciate what we are doing and it is so worthwhile to make a tangible difference to someone’s life.”

For more information on volunteering, visit the VCHP website.