August 2011

The Lions Clubs have had a long tradition of supporting eye care. I have been very grateful to the Aspley Lions Club in particular for their support in the development and implementation of our Telemedicine program for Retinopathy of Prematurity screening at the Mater Mothers Hospital.

One Lions project I’d like to draw attention to is Recycle for Sight. This is a project that collects used spectacles and sunglasses and then distributes them to people in need, especially to children in developing countries. Over the last 15 years the project has delivered 2.5 million pairs of glasses to countries in Africa, Europe, Middle East, Asia and the Pacific. 

The program helps not only the people receiving glasses, but those involved in the project. It depends not only on general volunteers, but also on people under Community Service Orders, trainees under Work for the Dole, and people with Mutual Obligation requirements. They have centres in the Helena Jones Half Way House (for women reintegrating into the Community) and Numinbah Women’s Correctional Institution. 

At Northside Eye Specialists we have a collection box for used spectacles and sunglasses, and we are pleased to contribute to the program by forwarding these to Lions Recycle for Sight.