College aids charity with specs

June 29, 2012 at 13:16PM

One thing that almost all contact lenses users are bound to have knocking about the house are unwanted glasses.

Left on a dusty shelf somewhere or put in the draw when the prescription no longer worked for their wearer or when they switched to contact lenses full-time, it's hard to know what to do with these relics, as they're the sort of item that just don't want to be binned.

Well recently, a college has been involved in an act of spectacles-related charity which could well prove inspirational for people in this sort of position, according to prestwichandwhitefieldguide.co.uk.

The people who work at Bury College have been contributing unwanted glasses that will be given to Vision Aid Overseas, a charity.

Over 80 sets of spectacles have been donated, according to Bury College's John Darbyshire.

The charity's website explains that the majority of those living in developing countries do not have access to eye care facilities. It has been at work some 27 years, it says.

Vision Aid Overseas' site also reports that £1,000 was recently gathered and given to the charity by optometrist Ravi Basuta. Any contact lenses users or other individuals with whom the charity's valuable work strikes a chord may want to offer them donations, too. This can be done via its website.

Meanwhile, another optometrist, Visual Edge Optometrists' Nick Dash commented last year about contact lenses' status as "medical devices" – something many users may not have previously been aware of.

He said: "Since contact lenses are in close contact with such a sensitive area of the body, they are technically classified as 'medical devices', and therefore need to be treated with care."

He talked about how very important it is to take care that proper cleaning and maintenance is given to contacts, as a way a keeping eye problems at bay.

He warned: "Using any liquids or substances that are not designed for use near the eye isn't something that should be taken lightly, as this can lead to lasting damage. So to keep your eyes safe and protect against problems make sure contact lenses are cleaned and conditioned using only the correct solutions."

Posted by Helen Smith.

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