OVER 5,000 pairs of glasses have been donated by Islanders as part of an intiative to send spectacles to countries with limited access to eyecare.
The operation has grown since it was launched in 2023 by Trena Lewis, who set up a collection box in her office at World Travel Jersey.
What started as just 12 pairs of glasses has now reached over 5,175.
Jersey’s Lions club sends the spectacles to a depot in the UK, where usable frames are repurposed and sent to countries around the world with limited access to eyecare.
Ms Lewis said the response had been “overwhelming”, with Islanders of all ages keen to support the intiative.
She explained: “Back in August 2023, our team at World Travel Jersey was chatting about how wasteful it felt to throw away old prescription glasses when we needed new ones.
“We discovered that the Lions Club of Jersey were collecting used spectacles for recycling and reuse in developing countries, and we were delighted to become a local collection point.
“What started with just 12 pairs has grown beyond anything we imagined.
“Thanks to the incredible generosity of our clients, friends, families and the wider Jersey community, we have now collected over 5,175 pairs of spectacles.
“Every few months, we deliver the donations to the Lions Club depot in Jersey, from where they are sent to Birmingham for sorting and then on to Medico France, before being distributed to eye clinics in Africa, India and Eastern Europe.
“It’s a small action that makes a life-changing difference – and we’re proud to support the fantastic work of the Lions Club.”
Islanders can drop their old glasses at the collection point at World Travel Jersey, Ground Floor, Dialogue House, 2-6 Anley Street, St Helier.
Donations are welcome on weekdays from 9am to 4pm.
