Vision Care For Homeless People

Vision Care for Homeless People is a charity set-up to provide eyecare services to homeless and other vulnerable people in an accessible and friendly environment in which they feel safe, welcome and comfortable. We aim to preserve, protect and promote the ocular health of homeless and vulnerable people in the UK who are unwilling or unable to access mainstream services available through the NHS. We include screening of ocular health and the provision of spectacles, that meets the immediate visual needs of our beneficiaries. We run opticians clinics for homeless people in London, Brighton, Birmingham, Manchester, Exeter and Leeds. The clinics are located within homeless person’s day centres and each local branch is operated by a team of volunteers. We also run a mobile service in east London. Homeless people are particularly disadvantaged when it comes to obtaining sight tests, glasses and eye care. They suffer a higher level of eye problems than the general population and 30% of homeless people have never had their eyes tested. Only a third are eligible for NHS funding, but we provide our service free of charge anyway, so we make up the difference by using volunteers, through gifts in kind and by fundraising. We also organize the annual Opticians Service at Crisis at Christmas in London. During the week, over 80 volunteers go around in mobile teams to conduct eye tests and provide glasses. Homeless people need glasses in order to find accommodation, obtain or retain employment, to help them stay safe and to enjoy everyday activities. Being able to see properly is often important to them picking themselves up again when they are or have been homeless. We are proud of what we do but are keen to do more because our research suggests that nearly 20,000 homeless people are in need of eye tests and glasses each year. Over the next few years we plan to be reaching 40% of homeless people in England.