Optician service at Bradford Lifehouse proves eye-opening

An optician service providing free eye tests and glasses to people who are homeless at The Salvation Army’s Bradford Orchard Lifehouse and Day Shelter has proved lifechanging.  

Teaming up with Vision Care for Homeless People and Specsavers, the monthly service has so far provided free eye tests and glasses for 50 people who are unhoused with many having struggled with poor eyesight their whole lives. 

Bradford’s Orchard provides supported accommodation via its Lifehouse for more than 40 people and runs a Day Shelter offering access to healthcare, mental health support, food, drinks and somewhere to stay during the days for people who are rough sleeping. 

Jordan Bruen, The Orchard’s Day Shelter Programme Manager, said: “This has been really successful. Speaking to clients, lots of people had not accessed opticians for years and had been going to pound shops to buy glasses. Obviously, their eyesight had been deteriorating and they’d not been able to do anything about it, they had just got used to having poor vision. 

“They get to pick their own frames which are then delivered to the Day Shelter so there is no expectation for clients to go down to the shop to pick them up. This is great because that in itself can be a barrier for our clients with poor mental health who find speaking to someone who looks like a professional or walking into their environment a bit intimidating. It’s been nice that this service can be delivered from the Day Shelter where clients are comfortable and can access a service without any pressure. 

“It’s made a massive difference for clients to go from not seeing properly to being able to see. One who is in his sixties said it had been lifechanging. He’d never had prescription glasses before. He came up to me saying ‘I can see!’ that was a massive step forward and you could tell he felt more confident now he’s walking round in a nice new pair of glasses.   

“It was really simple to set up with Vision Care for Homeless People, who have the same attitude as The Salvation Army does in wanting to remove barriers to healthcare.” 

Kai, who visits the Day Shelter and received a new pair of glasses said it was a ‘top notch’ service. 

He said: “I can’t see for love nor money without glasses or contacts. I was wearing contact lens before, but I’d had the same pair in for more than a year and I was sleeping in them, in fact at the time I got these glasses I actually only had one contact in because I’d lost the other one so this service really sorted me out. 

“We are all poor so these little comforts when it comes to the world we live in and seeing it clearly - it’s important. Your priorities on the street are different, you don’t have money for glasses, so I think it’s a very good service, giving people clear vision. It’s also hard to look after glasses on the street, but when something happens to them, they have been quick to fix or replace them which is a very good thing to do.” 

The pilot, which started in June and will run until the end of the year, was initiated by Specsavers in partnership with Vision Care for Homeless People, a charity set up to provide eyecare services to people who are homeless and vulnerable. The Specsavers Bradford 2 Home Visits Team performs the eye tests and dispenses glasses at the Day Shelter.

Hannah Telfer, Chief Executive Officer of Vision Care for Homeless People, said: “Working in partnership with Specsavers and The Salvation Army is helping us serve an increasing number of people affected by homelessness and showing that a visiting service is an overwhelmingly effective way of reaching them with desperately needed eye care.”

Heather Dalton, Specsavers Optometry Director, said: “Our goal with these visits is to support those who face barriers in accessing eye care, especially those who have been pushed into homelessness. Vision is a fundamental part of daily life, and without it, simple tasks can become difficult and could potentially put someone’s life at risk.

“It’s sad that so many individuals experiencing homelessness need glasses but are unable to get the help they require. By being able to offer this service in partnership with VCHP, we hope to help protect the vision of those who need it, regardless of their circumstances.”