Working with the community

We play an important part in our community, through promoting and enhancing eye care for the public.

This includes giving advice and treatment to our Eye Clinic patients, promoting optometry to school children and working with other service providers to improve eye care. We also work with volunteers who take part in clinical trials, something which is vital for our research.

Our local community

Working with schools

We work with local secondary schools to promote the discipline of optometry and other related science subjects. Recent examples include delivering talks on science research at Caerleon Comprehensive School and representing Optometry at the Howell's School Biennial Careers Convention in March 2013.

We also host work experience placements for secondary school pupils. If you would like a staff member or student to talk at your school or are interested in doing work experience with us, please contact us on +44 (0)29 2087 4374.

UCAN (Unique Creative Arts Network)

We are pleased to host UCAN Productions, a performance and creative arts co-operative for blind and partially sighted children, young people and their friends.

In honour of Dr Maggie Woodhouse, our pioneering researcher who leads the way for eye health care for people with Down's syndrome, UCAN launched Maggies' Club here in 2012.

Events

We frequently host eye care events, such as the Wales and West Vision Conference, meetings of the British Congress of Optometry and Vision Sciences, and the Annual Wales Eyecare Conference.

For further information on events that we are hosting, please contact us on +44 (0)29 2087 4374.

International work

A number of our students have worked in Vision Aid Overseas in Zambia, thanks to a bursary scheme set up by Irvine Aitchison, one of the founders of Dollond & Aitchison. Our students have worked alongside qualified optometrists to provide much-needed outreach services in rural local communities, including training local nurses and dispensing glasses to patients.

After my two weeks in Zambia, I can now appreciate just how valuable our optical services are here in the UK. I saw pathology not seen at home, gained a better understanding of treatments and developed my dispensing skills.