TO celebrate Valentine’s Day, the locally owned and run opticians based at 514 Kingsbury Road hosted a weekend fundraiser for St Luke’s Hospice (Harrow and Brent).
Really getting in to the spirit of spreading the love across their community, the team organised an array of activities including a bake sale and children’s colouring competition.
To mark the occasion the store was decorated with St Luke’s bunting and balloons, with customers receiving goody bags containing offers and Valentine’s chocolates.
Devindra Patel, store manager, says: ‘Valentine’s Day is a highlight in February, so we wanted to celebrate with our customers and their families while fundraising for St Luke’s, a worthy charity whose staff make a real difference across the community.
‘We also raised awareness around eye care, screen time, especially for children, and the importance of having a sight test because it can pick up underlying health conditions.’
Birju Lakhani, retail director at Specsavers Kingsbury adds: ‘We’re very grateful to the generosity of our customers and the team for their donations and creating a fun Valentine’s weekend celebration. St Luke’s is a local charity who provide an incredible service within the community, so as a team, we’re delighted that we can offer our support.’
Founded in 1987, St Luke’s Hospice (Harrow and Brent) offers expert palliative and end of life care for people across Harrow and Brent. The charity is only partially funded by the NHS and relies heavily on donations from the local community to provide this care to its patients.
With a focus on providing a holistic and person-centred approach to care, specialising not only on physical comfort but also on emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing, patients are supported at home and also in the beautiful historic setting of Kenton Grange, with its tranquil gardens where patients can relax and enjoy their surroundings.
Jo Pearce, interim Chief Executive at St Luke’s Hospice, said: ‘We are incredibly grateful to Specsavers Kingsbury for their generous support. As most of our work is funded by our local community, it means so much to have businesses like Specsavers backing us.
‘Their Valentine’s Day celebration will help us continue providing the best possible palliative and end of life care for people across Harrow and Brent, helping them live life to the fullest when they need us most.’
Specsavers Kingsbury offers customers two testing rooms which have the latest state-of-the-art pre-room testing diagnostic equipment. There is also a soundproof hearing room so customers can have their hearing checked, coupled with the latest micro-suction equipment to clear blocked ears.
Customers can choose to have an OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) 3D scan, which is hospital-grade, advanced diagnostic, eye-scanning equipment that helps detect several eye conditions, including glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. It can detect eye conditions up to four years ahead of them presenting via a standard eye test. Customers pay an extra £10 for the scan.
To book in for a sight or hearing check, you can contact Specsavers Kingsbury on 020 8238 9000. Alternatively, you can book online at https://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/kingsbury
Store opening times are Monday to Sunday, 9am to 6pm. The practice and clinics are on one level with nearby disabled bays to offer eye care for all.
For those who can’t leave their homes unaccompanied due to disability or illness, Specsavers also offers a Home Visits service covering more than 90% of the UK – with more details available at www.specsavers.co.uk/home-eye-tests.
