Wessex Optical owner awarded Freedom of the City of London

Zabir Ali, owner of Wessex Optical, has received the Freedom of the City of London in a ceremony held at Guildhall.

The honour is thought to date back to the 13^th century and maintained as a living tradition. From the Middle Ages to the Victorian era, obtaining the Freedom of the City represented the right to trade and enabled members of a Guild of Livery Company to carry out business in the Square Mile.

Speaking to OT about the Freedom, Ali shared: “It is a huge honour and quite humbling. It makes you stop, pause, and reflect on what you have achieved and think about the people, teams, and communities who have been part of the journey to reach that honour.”

Ali’s application was facilitated through a nomination of The Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers, which he has been a member of for around a year.

The honour represents both a personal and business recognition, and a responsibility, Ali said.

He explained: “It is a personal recognition for me as an individual and the role I’ve played in people’s lives by what I’ve done in the profession in optometry, the practices I have on the High Street, our patients, and the clinical care we deliver to local communities, which is one of the reasons I was recognised for the Freedom of the City.”

“It is recognition as an optometrist that I’ve developed to become a healthcare business leader,” he continued, adding: “As a business owner, it makes me reflect on our responsibility to patients, colleagues, to the profession and the communities we serve.”

The Freedom ceremony includes giving the Declaration of a Freeman, receiving a copy of the Freedom, as well as a copy of Rules for the Conduct of Life, which dates from the mid-18^th century.

Ali described the event: “The ceremony felt really special. A lot of it was about the old traditions which were explained well by the team at Guildhall.”

“Much of it is in old English, so you have got to be careful with the words,” he said, admitting: “I practised it three or four times when I was there.”

Ali was able to involve his team in the occasion, telling OT: “I took a lot of my team with me. I think their idea of the ceremony was that they would be watching. The Guildhall team made them stand with me as I said the declaration, which felt like we had done it as a central team.”

“They are the ones delivering the care every day in practices, building the trust and values I bring to my business – they bring it to life,” he said.

Zabir Ali

Zabir receives the Freedom of the City of London

After the ceremony, attendees have the opportunity to view artefacts and learn more about the history of the Freedom.

“They walk you around and say you’ve gained the honour along with so many other people like Nelson Mandela, Princess Diana, and presidents of the United States, as well as different people in industry,” he said.

Ali explained that the heritage of the Freedom of the City of London, and its links to business in the city, were a draw for him to apply, along with the strong roots of optometry in the city through time.

“The award goes back to the 13^th century. The original people who had the Freedom of the City of London were given licences to trade in London. It’s a nice way of circling around and connecting the dots,” he said.

“I think about how that was so important for people to have that credential – that they had the right credentials to do business. This is something important to me, to make sure we have the right credentials and qualifications to deliver care for our patients. For me, the values really marry up to what I want to do,” he said.

Reflecting on the experience, Ali described it as a recognition “not just of my journey but the role of community optometry and healthcare. I’m grateful for the team and people who have supported me. It gives me more motivation to build services that are accessible, clinically strong, and grounded.”

“I want to continue to make healthcare more accessible on the High Street. That is my long-term vision,” he said.