Children of Chernobyl

Every year the Children of Chernobyl are invited to take a holiday in England.

They arrive unaccompanied, usually without a word of English, and are given hospitality in the homes of English families for two weeks.

Visits to supermarkets, Alton Towers and local schools make their visits memorable and give them something to amaze their families with when they return to Russia.

They learn some English and get English pen friends as a result.

On the serious side, their visits also include medical checks, to make sure radiation damage is recognized and where possible dealt with. Sometimes it isn’t possible.

A pair of glasses in Russia can be beyond the pocket of many Russian families. This year Specs2go Limited chose to support this Charity by supplying spectacles to the children who needed them, free of charge.

A small step.

500 pairs of specs for the Third World

Every year Lions Clubs International, in the biggest co-operation of its kind in the world, sponsors teams of optometrists to visit Third World countries to test the eyes of people who have to work for a whole year to afford a pair of glasses.

Without glasses, they can’t work to afford them, so they can’t afford the cost of…etc etc.

A classic Catch 22

For many years, through the generosity of ordinary people, who donate their out of date glasses, more than a million people every year are given free of charge, a pair of specs which match their prescriptions. Men re-enter the workplace, feed and clothe their children from their own resources, creating a virtuous circle.

We are proud of our customers, who have sent us more than 500 pairs of glasses, which we have shipped on to Lions Clubs International. They are now being used in many countries, helping to open the world of sight to so many.

Thank you all.

Great news! We have bucked the trend.

Most companies develop websites to give support to existing businesses. We've done it the other way round.

Specs2go, already established as the world's first and leading online prescription spectacle store, has now opened its first High Street optical shop.

Now we can dispense Bifocals and Varifocals, and the range of frames is extended from 30 to 200. Our speciality is rimless frames, both metal sided and plastic (like Sven-Goran Eriksson), which start at £89.95 with single vision lenses. Most optical retailers charge £150 just for the frames.

From the end of May we will also be offering eye tests.

Come and visit us if you are in the Midlands, we are at 111 High Street, Erdington, Birmingham, B23 6AA (Tel: 0121 384 6600), just minutes from the M6 motorway.

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