Rotarians urge Fifers to donate old specs to overseas appeal

Ken Littlemore of the Burntisland and Kinghorn Rotary Club has set up drop-off points where people can donate unwanted specs which will be sent on to Vision Aid Overseas, a charity which recycles or sells them and uses the money to deliver eye care overseas.

Ken, who moved to Burntisland two years ago from Lincolnshire, said: “I transferred to the Rotary from my local branch where I had been a member for 10 years.

“When I joined I was asked if I could take over as convener for the Foundation of International Charities Committee and had the idea to do this as it was a project that my old Rotary used to run.

“I knew it would be a good project because I know that people don’t get rid of glasses.

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“You get a new pair and you keep the old pair as a spare, even though you hardly use them. Then when you get another pair the old spare just ends up sitting in drawer, and that can happen year after year.

“My brother died last year and when we were cleaning out his house we found 24 pairs of glasses!”

The scheme has already had a great response, with fellow Rotarian Ros Moffatt saying: “We all checked our drawers and cupboards and found loads of glasses.

“We always like to include the community to help wider causes, particularly international ones where we can do some good.”

Ken added: “It doesn’t matter how bad the condition of the glasses is, the component parts will be recycled. Expensive designer glasses will be sold via the Vision Aid Overseas shop on eBay. So everything will be re-used in one form or another.

“It will help them to get people the glasses they need, they can test their eyes and they train opticians. They can get more out of the money, rather than just giving someone a pair of glasses.”

The Rotary is also opening a fundraising charity shop upstairs in Burntisland Library on October 18-20.

The drop off points for old glasses are: Burntisland Library, Burntisland Medical Practice, Kinghorn Community Centre, and Faith, Hope & Charity, Kinghorn.