The Fred Hollows Foundation has received $10 million in donations from Specsavers since their partnership began 16 years ago.
A Foundation media release said the long-standing partnership had played a “vital role in restoring sight, developing sustainable models of care and improving eye health outcomes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Pacific Islander communities”.
The multi-million-dollar contribution has helped fund crucial programs, cataract surgeries, diabetic retinopathy treatments, and the training and employment of local eye health professionals. These initiatives have provided access to eyecare and sight-saving interventions for more than 375,000 people who might otherwise have lost their sight to preventable or treatable conditions.
The Fred Hollows Foundation, established by the late Professor Fred Hollows, works closely with Indigenous communities in Australia, where rates of blindness among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders remain three times higher than those of non-indigenous Australians.
The release said the support from Specsavers had directly contributed to reducing these disparities by increasing access to high-quality eyecare services.
“In the Pacific, where eye health services are often scarce, Specsavers’ support has helped fund a mobile eye clinic in Fiji as well as training for local healthcare workers who, after graduating, return to their communities to work with their Ministries of Health, giving thousands of people access to essential eye care,” it said.
Fred Hollows Foundation founding director Ms Gabi Hollows says: “Access to eyecare is a basic human right, not a privilege. But due to distance, language and cultural barriers, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Pacific Islander communities don’t have access to culturally safe and high-quality eyecare, leading to vision loss and blindness that can be avoided.
“Today we’re celebrating something truly incredible. To everyone at Specsavers, you have all played an essential role in enabling us to deliver the gift of sight. On behalf of the Fred Hollows Foundation and on behalf of every person whose life has been changed due to this partnership, thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Specsavers head of sustainability Ms Cathy Rennie Matos says partnering with the Fred Hollows Foundation was born from a philosophy that everyone should have the right to access high-quality and affordable eyecare and eyewear, no matter their circumstances.
“Over the past 16 years, Specsavers has supported the Foundation in Australia and New Zealand both financially and non-financially. From our Community Program, which sees a small amount donated from every pair of glasses sold, to our limited edition glasses to fundraising events like Fred’s Big Run and matching team member donations , every cent has added up and means that more people in remote and underserved communities can access essential care, ensuring preventable blindness is no longer a barrier to living a full and independent life.
“On top of our donations, we’re also incredibly proud of the non-financial support we’ve provided to assist with the Foundation’s ambitions – from volunteering and teaching placements to equipment donations, pro bono support, education and advocacy to name a few.
“Reaching this $10 million donation milestone is an incredible achievement and all of our store partners, every person who works in our stores, everyone in our support office, lab and warehouse, and every customer who has shopped with us has helped us to achieve this milestone,” she says.
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