With half of all sight loss across the UK and Lancashire avoidable, controllable or preventable, N-Vision has gone all out for National Eye Health Week (Sept 23-29) to highlight the need for regular eye tests, a healthier diet and far greater awareness of risks of smoking and other factors.
Head of ophthalmology Mr Ahmad Khalil and orthoptists Cath Jukes and Conrad Beacham were among specialist medics to join our Eye Clinic Liaison Officer Linda Sethi at N-Vision’s NEHW stand on the Mezzanine of Blackpool Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust – aka, The Vic – on Monday (Sept 23).
The Blackpool Gazette has featured two double page spreads by our press officer Jacqui Morley – and other specials have appeared on regional health, charity and business magazines. This would not have been possible without the support of ECLO Linda – who also spoke out about her own eye health scare earlier this year – and specialist eye medics who gave freely of their time and expertise, and also our own clients who talked about their own experiences and urged others to get sight tests before it was too late.
Social media has proved a triumph of collaboration between specialist sight loss support charities, big and small, across Lancashire and South Cumbria, joining forces to strategically target key messages of NEHW. You can follow N-Vision on Twitter @N_Vision_NW and N-Vision Blackpool Fylde and Wyre Society for the Blind on Facebook. Posts regularly appear on Instagram and Linked In too.
Here are two of the links to our online regional coverage: https://www.entirelyhealth.com/opinion/northwest/lancashire/sight-is-the-sense-we-most-fear-to-lose-yet-cherish-the-least-why5491 and https://www.entirelynorthwest.co.uk/news/charity/lancashire/they-say-39-doctor-i-39-d-rather-die-than-lose-my-sight-39-we-must-prioritise-patients9656
There is also a Listen Again link to the BBC Radio Lancashire interview with our CEO Ruth Lambert and ECLO Linda ahead of NEHW https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07m149p and the N-Vision element starts 2hrs 9mins in and ends just short of 2.30pm. The interview is conducted by presenter Nishma Hindocha.