GLASSES AND HEARING AID RECYCLING: A CHILD’S STORY

There is a child in a Primary School in our area that wears glasses. When they were falling behind in class, their teacher had a word with their parents, and took them to the local opticians. After a short appointment, the optometrist said that they needed glasses. The NHS paid for the lenses and the parents paid for the frames and the child could see the board at school. But this wasn’t the end of the story. In a year’s time the child went back to the optician, and while they were in the waiting area, saw a spectacles collection bin from the Lions. The child had been learning about recycling at school and wanted to help other people. The simple act of donating an old pair of glasses can change a life. When the glasses (and sunglasses) are collected from the opticians, they go to the Lions Garage with lots of others. The cases and broken pairs are separated and sent to be melted down to collect the precious metals, and help pay for the next stage. The ones in good condition are neatly placed in a larger box with other pairs and sent to Lions Headquarters in Birmingham or Lions in Chichester. All donations are examined by a team of Lions and other volunteers in the recycling workshop. Sorted pairs of glasses can then be sent for grading and distribution by Medico France in Le Havre. Chichester Lions Club sends spectacles directly to contacts running eye clinics in Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Nigeria, and Nepal. In addition, volunteers from the Unite for Sight charity are supplied with spectacles to take with them on missions to countries across the world. Lions Club National Headquarters in Birmingham sends spectacles to the National Police Aid Charity to be sent to the Gambia for eye camps, the Army working in Mali, and through a variety of independent charities operating in Nigeria, Chad, Tanzania, and Bangladesh. Can you imagine your child not being able to see the board in class and not being able to play games with their friends? Now imagine a child in a country that does not have a National Health Service, where glasses are unaffordable or opticians are not just up the road. The simple act of taking your used glasses to one of the following places, can make the world of difference : Wickersley Library Morthen Road Surgery Wickersley Medical Practice (Poplar Glade) Ravenfield Surgery Bramley Social Club Wickersley Eye Clinic