Family marks 35 years of community eye care in Wigan

A retail director who opened his first Specsavers practice in Wigan 35 years ago is celebrating the milestone alongside his family, who now help run three practices within the multiple across north west England.

Graeme Gardner opened his first practice in Wigan in 1990 when he was working as a dispensing assistant. Today, alongside his wife and two children, he runs practices in Wigan, Skelmersdale and Ashton-in-Makerfield.

While Gardner’s wife, Sue, is also a retail director, their son, Tim, is an optometrist director, and their daughter, Laura, is a retail director. All four are equal partners and directors across the three-practice operation.

Reflecting on the anniversary, Laura said: “Reaching 35 years is an incredible milestone for my dad and for all of us as a family. To be able to work alongside him and my family, serving the communities where we grew up, is something I’m incredibly proud of. We’re not just opticians, we’re part of the fabric of Wigan, Skelmersdale and Ashton and we're committed to being here for the next 35 years and beyond.”

Gardner added: “Seeing my children working alongside me in the business is incredibly fulfilling. What started as one practice has become a family legacy. They’ve brought fresh energy and new ideas while maintaining the values that have always been important to us, putting customers first and being part of the community we serve.”

The family ethos extends throughout Gardner’s wider practice teams. In Wigan, practice manager, Abi Broxson, works alongside her partner audiologist, Harri Chapman, while in Skelmersdale, practice manager, Sohail Nadeem, works alongside his cousin, optometrist, Urooj Nasir.

Community is important to the directors, and teams in all three practices regularly deliver presentations at primary schools and provide work experience placements, work trials and interview skills workshops to support young people entering optometry.