02 June 2026
Volunteering can bring a new perspective, a connection with community, an opportunity to use and develop skills, and an opportunity to give back.
Around 25 million people in the UK volunteered informally at least once a year in the same time period.
To mark the occasion, OT asked four optometry professionals to share the ways they volunteer and what they have personally gained from volunteering.
Rebecca Daly, independent prescribing optometrist, Edinburgh
My volunteer role is for the AOP Peer Support Line (PSL). The PSL is a confidential, free-phone helpline for individuals (members and non-members) at any stage of their optical career to call and discuss their problems with a trained, empathetic peer who recognises the pressures of optical practice.
Being an optometrist can be a lonely role and stresses can magnify if there is no-one to talk to. That might be because a person works as the sole optometrist in a practice or because they don’t feel they can speak to colleagues. It can be hard to speak to family about work pressures, both due to issues with confidentiality but also a lack of understanding of the realities of life as an optometrist.
There have been times when a caller is just so relieved to have been able to talk something through you can hear that a weight has been lifted
When people speak to a PSL volunteer, they don’t need to describe how being an optometrist works – we know all that – and I was keen to offer that opportunity to colleagues who may be struggling.
There is a great sense of satisfaction that comes with really helping someone. I can’t say every call I take is life-changing, but there have been times when a caller is just so relieved to have been able to talk something through you can hear that a weight has been lifted. That makes it all worthwhile.
The PSL team are also a great bunch. Everyone, including volunteers and the AOP staff, are so supportive of each other. I’m really grateful to have met this wonderful group of people.
Benji Chandra, optometrist, Leeds
Locally, I volunteer with Vision Care (formerly VCHP) working as an optometrist in clinics serving some of the UK’s most vulnerable patients. Internationally, I support the Global Optometry Public Health Alliance (GOPHA) with research; we are currently mapping optometry education across different countries and have just completed data collection in India. I also volunteer with the Global Ophthalmic Institute, helping develop online clinical resources to train eye care professionals in low- and middle-income countries.
At its root, my motivation is my Christian faith and a conviction that I should use my skills to serve others. But experience sharpened that conviction into something concrete. Early on, I was struck by a stark inequality hiding in plain sight. Homeless people in the UK are far more likely to have a longstanding eye problem than the general population, yet accessible care remains out of reach for many.
In giving, I found I received far more in return
Volunteering abroad deepened this further, revealing that UK optometrists carry skills the wider world genuinely needs. That felt like both a privilege and a responsibility I couldn’t walk away from.
Early in my career, commercial pressures had quietly eroded my passion for optometry, but volunteering gave it back. It restored a sense of meaning to the work, a reminder that what we do genuinely changes lives. It has also brought some of the most enriching relationships and experiences I’ve known. From serving in Leeds, to Belize, to India, to Uganda, and to South Africa, with memorable people and moments in every place. In giving, I found I received far more in return.
Building skills and finding meaning during a sabbatical from optometry
How Benji Chandra stepped away from practice and found new vision during a career break
Karen Gennard, optometrist, AOP board member and AOP Councillor representing South West England
I currently volunteer for the AOP Peer Support Line and I also serve as a trustee for a local sight loss charity Insight Gloucestershire.
Over the years, I have had a very positive experience working as an optometrist. I love working in the community, engaging with patients, and helping them with their eye health and eye care needs. However, I know that the role can sometimes be challenging, both within the workplace and when balancing our commitments and our own mental and physical wellbeing at home.
The PSL is unique in that it is staffed by volunteers who all have lived experience of working in optometry. We understand the job and the pressures associated with it. I have also undertaken a similar voluntary role in the past for a non-professional support line, where I experienced the privilege of sitting with people and supporting them on their most difficult days.
If I can offer support to those facing challenging times within our profession, I see it as part of my service to our optometric community.
If I can offer support to those facing challenging times within our profession, I see it as part of my service to our optometric community
Like many volunteers, I feel that I gain so much from volunteering. The training and support offered by the PSL are fantastic – both in terms of their quality and the sense of community they create. I have definitely developed skills that have helped me deal with challenging situations in my own life.
The volunteer community itself is very special. I know it is a place where I will always be supported in a kind, thoughtful, and non-judgemental way.
I think there are many ways we can use our skills to volunteer. So many sports, activities, vital charities, and services rely on volunteers giving a few hours of their time each week or month. It is definitely worth considering where you can contribute.
Bansri Shah, dispensing optician and director of Eyelink Opticians, a Hakim Group independent practice
“In September our practice got involved in a festival organised by Streets Kitchen. Eye tests are not on the agenda for people experiencing homelessness, it’s: ‘How will I get through the next day?’
“The team were all involved and saw the huge impact that eyesight can have on a person’s confidence. We provided an eye test and glasses for somebody who then got his job back and realised – ‘wow.’ It reminded us of the skills we have that can change people’s lives and gave us perspective of how many barriers people can face that we don’t think twice about.
“As a team we felt we need to keep on giving back, so they are thinking all the time now about what else we can do. We are already talking about the next festival.
Every day I think: did I do something to help somebody today?
“We have also supported a charity called SeeKenya, a cause close to my heart because I was born there. I know that there are some very poor areas. We heard that the charity was looking for frames so that they can provide eye care and dispense glasses to people in need in Kenya.
“As a team we looked at the frames we had for a while which we couldn’t really sell and thought – why don’t we just donate them? We thought: we might sell five of those frames but is it going to change our lives? Wouldn’t it be lovely if we could change five people’s lives?
“The team helped me pick out frames and we donated 100. I personally took them down to the charity’s offices in Brighton. The thank you notes and messages we got back were powerful. There were children and adults who could suddenly see and their lives had been changed.
“Volunteering gives me a greater sense of perspective. It reminds you the things we take for granted, like whether you can get an eye test and a pair of glasses, can change someone’s confidence, independence, and day-to-day life. It is so fulfilling.
“Every day I think: did I do something to help somebody today? What did I do to make somebody’s life better? What could I have done? What can I do?”
Independent practice provides free eye care for the homeless
Eyelink Opticians tested the sight of people experiencing homelessness during a local festival
Would you like to share your volunteering story? OT is always keen to hear from readers – get in touch to share how you volunteer.
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