Waving the flag for eye care

Hackney’s entry to the London New Year’s Day Parade 2026 shared the message that Healthy eyes save lives

3 min read

A large group of people gather on a pavement near the Houses of Parliament which rise up golden and spired behind them. The group are wrapped in coats, scarves and hats, and hold placards celebrating Hackney, and riaisng awareness of eye tests and colour deficiency. The mood is celebratory and joyful

Garry Kousoulou

08 January 2026

A message promoting the importance of eye health swept through London on 1 January via Hackney’s official entry to the London New Year’s Day Parade 2026.

The parade entry, Healthy eyes save lives, was led by Garry Kousoulou, director of Askew Eyewear and of digital marketing agency, Loving Social Media.

Kousoulou was joined by more than 100 eye care professionals and volunteers, including practice owners, dispensing opticians, and optometrists from across the country.

The campaign aimed to highlight the role of eye care in vision, as well as broader health, safety, and quality of life.

The 2026 parade marked the 40^th anniversary of the event, and saw more than 8000 performers participate, and a crowd of 700,000 people. The proceedings were also broadcast on Sky News.

Hackney’s entry raised awareness of colour vision deficiency, with messaging on how the condition can affect education, employment, safety, and everyday life, along with evolving support and optical solutions.

The campaign also featured the humanitarian work of the Ridley Eye Foundation, drawing attention to its cataract surgery and eye care outreach programmes in the Himalayas.

Kousoulou, who is also vice chair of the Hackney Retail Association, said: “This was about the profession standing together, raising awareness of eye examinations and colour vision deficiency, and showing the impact eye care has both locally and globally.”

He credited Hackney Council, sharing: “without their support and permission, this collaboration simply would not have happened.”

New Years Day parade: a snapshot

Three men and one woman cheer and raise placards in the New Years Day parade. The placards include sight tests in different language scripts, a sign for ‘Healthy eyes save lives’ and a three colour vision tests. The people are wrapped up warmly, and over their coats they wear t-shirts celebrating Hackney and unity

Garry Kousoulou

A group of six people pose inside, One holds a ‘Healthy eyes save lives’ poster, one holds a colour vision test, and another holds a sketch of Askew Eyewear

Garry Kousoulou

Two people pose in the New Years Day Parade in London holding a healthy eyes sign and wearing Hackney jumpers

Garry Kousoulou

Members of the profession joined Hackney’s entry to the New Year celebrations

Mohamed Kasmani, optometrist and owner of Feltham Eyecare Centre, joined the parade, describing the experience to OT as “rewarding” and a “brilliant opportunity to raise awareness that healthy eyes really can save lives.”

“As optometrists, we see daily that an eye examination is about far more than vision alone, often revealing underlying health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, and in rare but critical cases signs like papilloedema that require urgent, life-saving referral,” he said.

Kasmani shared: “One particularly memorable moment on the day was meeting a woman with a colour vision deficiency — the first time in my career I have encountered a colour-deficient female — with a family history on both her mother’s and father’s side.”

“Engaging directly with the public in this way reinforced just how powerful eye care awareness can be. It was a positive, energising day that highlighted the vital role optometry plays in protecting sight, supporting general health, and ultimately saving lives,” he continued.

Next year, Kasmani said he would like to see an even greater involvement from the optical profession.

Jignasa Joshi, senior optometrist at Care Optics, also attended the parade. Joshi is ICS optometry lead for NE London, and chair of the North East London Local Optometric Committee.

She commented: “Garry makes the optical industry proud as he is innovative, ambitious and enthusiastic about driving public health messages around eye care forward.”

“I was so pleased to be able to be a part of the campaign delivery and hope to be able to support the good work as it continues. We had many inspiring conversations with the public on the day, and despite the freezing but bright weather, this was a truly amazing opportunity. I hope that we can inspire others in the future,” Joshi said.

The Hackney parade entry raised awareness and funds for local organisations: Hackney Foodbank, Hackney Marsh Partnership, and The Pedro Club.

Centre Transport Saled Ltd, along with Mi-Soul Radio, were a key part of the parade, with a dedicated truck and fundraising code for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Jodie Sawyer, accounts manager at Centre Transport Sales Ltd, said: “We were incredibly proud to join Mi-Soul Radio at the London Parade, representing Hackney Council and raising vital funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital. It was inspiring to see different industries come together, proving that when people share a passion for a cause and work as a team, amazing things can be achieved.”

Those keen to get involved in 2027 can register their interest with Kousoulou online.