The store donated £1 from every eye test carried out in March to the group, which supports people with macular conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Store director Sarah Burchett says: "We’re really pleased that we were able to beat our target of raising £1,000 for the support group. There are more than 1,000 people in Guernsey with some form of macular degeneration and that number will only rise with an aging population. So the group’s work to support local people is a really important part of the community."
Bill Gardiner, Guernsey Macular Society support group co-founder, says: "The Guernsey Macular Society is enormously grateful to the staff at Specsavers for raising a massive amount of money for our charity during March. The money will enable us to arrange one or two special events in the future which otherwise would have been impossible. In addition, we will be able to donate a sum of money to macular research to help find other treatments for this condition which afflicts so many people in the island."
The Guernsey Macular Society support group was formed in 2014 to help people suffering from macular conditions by organising talks and giving them the opportunity to meet and socialise with fellow sufferers.
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in the UK. It develops when the part of the eye responsible for central vision is unable to function as effectively as it used to. The vast majority of people with macular degeneration suffer from dry AMD, which tends to progress slowly. Sufferers will not go completely blind as their peripheral vision should not be affected but there is currently no cure for the disease.
For more information please contact:
Alexa Moore
01481 213350
alexa.moore@specsavers.com
Or
Tom Bradshaw
01481 213372
tom.bradshaw@specsavers.com
Or check on the Internet at:
http://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/key-information-and-statistics
For further details on Specsavers Opticians Market Street please visit their feature page here at thebestof Guernsey.
