AOP opens nominations for new Council representatives in 2021

Practitioners and students are being invited by the Association of Optometrists (AOP) to put themselves forward as AOP Council representatives.

AOP Councillors ensure that views from around the UK and within the profession are represented in the AOP’s policy making. 

Speaking about the importance of AOP members getting involved in the elections, Mike George, Chair of AOP Council, encouraged members to "Rise above the social media noise and help to shape the future of our profession with evidence, consideration and healthy debate on the AOP Council.”

Henrietta Alderman, AOP Chief Executive, further expanded by saying: “our sector, like many others, faces challenges to mend and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The AOP’s strength lies in its membership, from a range of backgrounds, having a voice to ensure we are leading change that is representative and rebuilds a better future in optics.” 

Alongside the 12 elected UK posts being contested across the UK in 2021, 14 designated positions representing practitioners working in core areas of practice, undergraduate students and pre-registration optometrists are open for application.

All eligible members of all grades are encouraged to put themselves forward from Wednesday 10 February, before the nomination period closes on Monday 1 March. 

Voting for elected positions will be open from 12 March and 26 March, and all eligible AOP members will be invited to vote. The appointed candidates for designated positions will be chosen by the AOP Appointments Committee. The results will be announced in May.

For more information, including the role of Councillors and the election timeline, visit the AOP website, www.aop.org.uk/elections 

Ends

For more information, please contact Serena Box, PR and Media Manager, at the Association of Optometrists, [email protected] or telephone 020 7549 2040.

Notes to Editors

Association of Optometrists

The Association of Optometrists (AOP) is the leading representative membership organisation for optometrists in the UK. We support over 82% of practising optometrists, to fulfil their professional roles to protect the nation’s eye health. For more information, visit www.aop.org.uk 

AOP Council 

There are 33 AOP Councillors:

• 13 Councillors are elected to represent AOP members in their geographical constituencies* across the UK
• 20 designated Councillors represent particular membership groups and demographics