Parading the importance of eye health

The Borough of Enfield’s entry in London’s New Year’s Day Parade 2025 brought together a celebration of community diversity alongside messages around the importance of eye health.

Dispensing optician, Garry Kousoulou, curated Enfield’s parade entry, which was themed around ‘unity through diversity.’

With more than 90 languages spoken by Enfield residents, and ambitions to become the greenest London borough, the parade entry sought to celebrate diversity, community, and environmental consciousness.

The more than 100 participants in the parade held multilingual Snellen charts to spread messages of eye health awareness and to demonstrate that “vision care transcends language barriers.”

The owner of Askew Eyewear and founder of NeedAnOptom, Kousoulou, said: “Regular eye tests can detect early signs of various health conditions as we all know. Through this parade entry, we’re making eye health accessible and engaging for everyone.”

The parade entry received support from across the optical industry, Kousoulou told OT, including from the company, Birmingham Optical, brand Forever and a Day, and GoodlookingOptics.

The non-profit organisation, N0CO2, pledged to plant trees in Madagascar to offset the parade’s environmental impact, while local charities, Mission to Raise MS Awareness, and Family Based Solutions were also represented.

AMA Business Communications, a supplier of telecommunications for optometrists, played a role in the event and has agreed to help the charities, while Euromonitor has agreed to make both charities part of its corporate social responsibility, as a result of the parade.

Kousoulou explained: “The inspiration for the New Year’s Day Parade idea truly stems from a 2008 cover of Optometry Today. That moment sparked a vision which continues to guide and shape the concept today.”

The 2008 cover showcased Kousoulou in practice beside Snellen charts in multiple languages.

Mayor Mohammad Islam commented on the parade entry: “Garry has found an innovative way to promote essential healthcare while celebrating our community’s diversity. What Garry has created goes beyond a parade entry. It’s a living, breathing testament to Enfield’s spirit of inclusivity.”

The New Year’s Day Parade was delayed by an hour due to extreme weather, but Kousoulou suggested even this “couldn’t dampen the spirit of unity and healthcare awareness demonstrated by optical professionals across London.”