Caitlin Brennan from Simon Community is pictured with Gerard O’Mullan, ophthalmic director at Specsavers Ballymena at the Trostan Avenue Simon Community hub.
Clinical colleagues from Specsavers Ballymena have recently volunteered at their local Simon Community hub to deliver eye tests and dispense glasses to people experiencing homelessness.
The clinics are part of a UK-wide initiative by Specsavers to improve access to eye care for all and remove healthcare barriers.
The clinic in Ballymena, which was free of charge for Simon Community clients to attend, took place in November with Gerard O’Mullan and Lucy McClean from the Specsavers team meeting with eight people who had eye tests. Of those eight, six people needed prescription glasses.
The picture is similar across the rest of Northern Ireland, with 83% of those who have attended a clinic in the past seven months, living with diminished eyesight and have been prescribed lenses and frames by the local Specsavers stores.
Lucy McClean, optical assistant at Specsavers Ballymena at the Trostan Avenue Simon Community hub.
Declan (47), who is a Simon Community client experiencing homelessness says he feels privileged to have gained access to this community healthcare for a person in his situation, but it should be a basic right. He says of his experience at the clinics:
“I have been experiencing homelessness for over a year now, but through Simon Community, I have gained better access to community healthcare such as eye tests with Specsavers. I didn’t realise I had a problem with my sight even though I had a slight flutter in my eyes, but after having a sight test, it was confirmed I am shortsighted, and I now wear glasses for both reading and for distance.
“This has had a really positive impact in my daily life already – I can read signage better and understand forms better, which has given me a little more confidence, but best of all, I can read the local papers which my father sends me, allowing us to catch up on local news together. This has strengthened our relationship, which wouldn’t have happened without the help from Specsavers.”
Gerard O’Mullan, ophthalmic director at Specsavers Ballymena at the Trostan Avenue Simon Community hub.
Gerard O’Mullan, ophthalmic director at Specsavers Ballymena who ran the clinic with a colleague added:
“We were delighted to be able to carry out this clinic, as we know access to healthcare is a huge barrier for those experiencing homelessness in Northern Ireland, and particularly within our town. It took a lot for the people we met to come and get their eyes tested, and for three quarters of them to have shown problems with their sight, just goes to show how much this service is needed within the community.”
JP Rice, Chair of Specsavers Northern Ireland, said:
“Every day, we improve people’s quality of life by helping them achieve better sight and hearing. Unfortunately, for the several thousand people that are experiencing homelessness in the UK, it can be incredibly difficult to get access to this care and it is very much a key tenet of our founding vision - to make expert care accessible to everyone.”
The initiative was trialled in early 2024, and since then, the clinics have since been operating monthly with different Specsavers stores at various regional Simon Community hub locations across Northern Ireland.
Kirsten Hewitt, Director of Homelessness Services at Simon Community, said:
“We are delighted to be partnering with Specsavers to deliver an eye-care clinic at each of our temporary accommodation services in Northern Ireland. When experiencing homelessness, maintaining your physical health often becomes a lower priority.
“We are grateful to have the opportunity to partner with Specsavers – through their support and expertise, we are breaking down barriers to accessing basic health care for individuals impacted by homelessness.”
Specsavers is also collaborating with Vision Care for Homeless People, The Big Issue, Focus Ireland, Crisis and other homelessness organisations to create long-term solutions to eye health inequality. Work includes lobbying and influencing government to ensure people experiencing homelessness have access to free eye tests, glasses and domiciliary services.