17 Jul New Malden opticians raise awareness for Diabetes UK
DURING June, to spotlight Diabetes Week (10th – 16th June) the store partners at Specsavers New Malden launched a fund-raising campaign to raise awareness around the issues of diabetes and the importance of caring for your eyes.
This year’s focus for Diabetes UK was to highlight the day-to-day way in which people with the condition cope, and to talk about the health checks required to spot the condition. To help raise funds for the charity, staff, customers and the New Malden community were encouraged to donate in-store throughout June. A JustGiving page was also set up to spread the word about this initiative.
Bhavisha Patel, ophthalmic director, commented: ‘We are very passionate about providing the best clinical care to our community. Those with diabetes can be at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, which if left undiagnosed and untreated can lead to vision loss.
‘Within my family, three of my grandparents had and one currently has diabetes. In fact, my grandfather was severely ill at one point, hence me being so supportive of raising awareness around this condition which is very dear to my heart.’
Specsavers provides advice around managing the condition, in particular with regard to eye care. So, a visit to your local optometrist could include diagnostic tests such as a visual acuity test, tonometry, a dilated eye examination which can help spot diabetic changes inside the eye, digital retinal photography and an OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) examination. The OCT is advanced diagnostic, eye-scanning equipment and helps detect serious eye conditions, including glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, up to four years earlier than traditional methods, and is currently on offer at the reduced price of just £5.
Retail director Karina Peshawaria said: ‘Many of us know someone with this condition, and both Bhavisha and I felt that this year we wanted to focus on raising awareness around the condition and how to manage it. So, we set up our fundraising JustGiving page and encouraged in-store donations throughout June. There is still a low level of awareness around how important it is to have a sight test, so we are hoping that our campaign will have helped inform our local community.
‘Specsavers New Malden doubled the amount of money raised by our staff and customers, so we are delighted to have raised £184 for Diabetes UK.’
To meet the store partners and discuss your eyesight or hearing, you can call the team at Specsavers New Malden on 020 8336 7620 or book an appointment online at https://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/newmalden
