Lions Club of Woodley and Earley

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SpecTrek Information

WOW  the total raised this year 5,745 spectacles

 

Over 5,700 pairs of spectacles have been collect this year, and with still a month to go before they are due to be sent off we are hopeful that we can make this a record of 6,000.

Since 2006 our very own member has collected over 30,000 pairs.

Collecting and sorting used spectacles has been done for almost 20 years. Recycling these became a major project for the club in 1990.

Helen Keller in 1925 Challenged Lions to become "knights of the Blind in the crusade against darkness" since then, we have worked timelessly to aid the blind and visually impaired.

What is Spec Trek? The first Spec Trek was in 1982 and is now an annual event.

Each year the Clubs collect over 100,000 pairs of unwanted spectacles from all over the area.  These are then passed on to other Lions Clubs for sorting, grading and onwards transport to the third world.  Over the years more than 2 million pairs of specs have been collected, the numbers show no sign of diminishing and we are well on the way to our three millionth pair.

Spec Trek 2011, the 30th trek, raised 11900 pairs of Specs.  The event could not take place without the wholehearted and good humoured help and hospitality of the Lions of the region 105D.
Like many good ideas Spec Trek started with a chat over a beer. In the early 1980's the Lions Clubs started collecting pairs of spectacles as part of Lions on going sight campaigns. Today, we need four Transit style vans and a couple of support vehicles to collect specs from around 50 Lions Clubs spread over Berkshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire and Dorset. The Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands also contribute.

These days we deliver our collection to our fellow Lions for dispatch to the Third World. These unwanted pair of glasses can make the difference between supporting a family or starving.
Our collection brings in around 5 thousand pairs of specs per year. Woodley and Earley Lions are very grateful for the support that they have received locally over the years from businesses that have assisted with the collections.

The specs can be handed in to your local opticians or to the Crescent Community Centre off Rushey Way in Earley.

PRIDE IN THE COMMUNITY