Vision 2020 Meeting in the U

Vision 2020 Meeting in the U.K.

Optometry Giving Sight Highlights

Message from the Chair of Optometry Giving Sight

• Brien Holden says “2007 is proving to be a watershed year for Optometry Giving Sight – and I am delighted to report that optometrists and their patients throughout the world are recognizing that they have a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of the global effort to eliminate global blindness due to uncorrected refractive error by the year 2020”

UK Update

• UK has raised £40,202 (US$80,403) in Public Fund Donations since inception to 31st July 2007, of this £7,746 (US$15,493 of which US$13,294 was partner funds and US$2,199 from National Committee allocation) has been paid to the Giving Sight to Blind Children Project. A further £32,456 (US$64,910) is available for distribution to Optometry Giving Sight priority projects.

• Optometry Giving Sight in the UK welcomes the news that Bausch & Lomb has signed up as a Gold Sponsor to support Optometry Giving Sight in the UK

• The U.K. team has been present at many events throughout the year, encouraging optometrists to sign up to the Regular Giving or Practice Giving Programmes. In addition signing optometrists up Jo Hollingsworth, Country Manager, has met with a number of existing and potential corporate sponsors and visited many Local Optical Committees. The current focus is the World Sight Day Challenge campaign.

Global

• Optometry Giving Sight ensures that 85% of Public Funds raised are distributed to sustainable projects addressing uncorrected refractive error to those in desperate need. Since inception Optometry Giving Sight has distributed US$142,259 to projects as at 30th April, 2007, this includes:
• US$98, 412 paid to Sightsavers and ICEE for the Giving Sight to Blind Children Project (GSBC) and Optimizing Opportunities for Those with Low Vision in East Africa Project – one of Optometry Giving Sight Priority Projects. Of this US$15,493 (£7,746) was raised in UK
• In 2005, Optometry Giving Sight National Committee in Australia provided US$43,847 to the Vision for Sri Lanka Project delivered by ICEE – an Optometry Giving Sight Priority Project.

• As at 31st July 2007, US$573,752 was available for distribution to projects- US$64,910 of this has been raised by UK. Of the US$573,752, US$49,472 has been earmarked for eye care in East Timor by Optometry Giving Sight National Committee in Australia and the balance, US$524,280 will be provided to the three Optometry Giving Sight Priority Projects:

• Giving Sight to Blind Children in Africa
• Vision for a Country: The National Refractive Error Program for South Africa
• Vision Care Service Development in Sri Lanka

The proposals for the next phase for these projects are currently being developed by the NGOs in consultation with Optometry Giving Sight. We hope to distribute more funding in the near future.

• The inaugural World Congress on Refractive Error that was held in Durban in March has produced a declaration that will help shape the development of global public health strategies for what is now recognized as the leading form of preventable blindness worldwide, uncorrected refractive error. The Declaration states that refractive error is a major health issue impacting on individuals, their families and communities - and is a contributing cause of poverty in the world. It says that half of the estimated global economic impact of avoidable blindness and impaired vision - $US42 billion annually - is due to refractive error.The Declaration recognizes that the greatest contribution to a severe worldwide lack of refractive error services is the lack of trained personnel to provide them; a need that is most pronounced in poor and marginalized communities.

• The World Sight Day challenge has been launched in the UK, Canada, Australia and the USA. There has been a good response from sponsors who have agreed to distribute sign up forms. Key optometric partners, optometric associations and the press have been assisting with distribution and promotion. We are hoping to achieve the equivalent of a light to medium advertising campaign where every optometrist will see our promotional material at least six times over the coming months.

Australia

• In May Dr Nag Rao visited Australia and spoke to optometrists at three AMO sponsored dinners in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. The Queensland division of the Optometrists Association Australia also hosted an evening lecture in Brisbane which Nag spoke at. These events resulted in 48 regular and one-off donations. Dr Nag Rao was also the key note speaker at Australia’s largest conference, the Southern Regional Congress (SRC) in Melbourne, was a huge success with 58 optometrists signing up to support Optometry Giving Sight. Australia now has 672 active donors, i.e. those who have donated in the last 12 months.

• In Brisbane, Australia, the Queensland Vision was also a huge success with 50 optometrists signing up to support Optometry Giving Sight raising in excess of AU$26,000, including AU$10,000 of CIBA Vision matching.

• Almost AU$4,000 was raised in donations and matching at the CIBA Vision Australia’s ‘State of the Nation’ dinner during which Brian Spiller, Corporate Fellow, encouraged people to sign up.

• Craig Butler, Director of Education from ICEE, gave a presentation on Behalf of Optometry Giving Sight at the Australian College of Behavioural Optometrists (ACBO) in early July. Craig is a well known ACBO fellow and he spoke from the heart and from his own experiences to encourage support for Optometry Giving Sight.

Canada

• The WSDC was launched in Canada at the biennial Canadian Association Of Optometrists congress in Saskatoon on 18-22 July..

• CIBA Vision announced their Platinum National Sponsorship of Optometry Giving Sight at the CAO congress opening ceremonies and actively promoted the WSDC at their booth.

U.S.

• The Vision Source National Meeting in Dallas, U.S., was a great success for Optometry Giving Sight - raising an estimated $US190,000 in regular donations (annualized out over the next 9 months) and one off gifts. A wonderful team effort and we are indebted to the Vision Source Executive who really threw their weight behind our "Leaders" campaign to get their doctors signed up as Regular Donors at US$100 per month.

• Essilor Laboratories announced at the Vision Source meeting in April that they will donate one dollar from the sale of each pair of TRUECLEAR progressive lenses will benefit Optometry Giving Sight. These new private label lenses, which are manufactured by Essilor Laboratories, will be available exclusively through Vision Source practices from 1 May.

• In April, Vic Connors and Brien Holden presented in Mexico at the World Council of Optometry meeting encouraging their members all to sign up. With the support of the WCO, WOF and Alyssa Harvey, they signed up 35 new donors.

A reminder of what must we do…

• Sign up optometrists and their patients to donate to Optometry Giving Sight
• Increase our corporate support
• Seek recognition as Optometry Charity
• Get our donors to help sign up other donors

Corporate Sponsorship

* In-Kind value is calculated and recognized as 50% cash equivalent