Improving Access to care for people affected by homelessness

Client: Vision Care

Specsavers’ partnership with Vision Care, formerly Vision Care for Homeless People (VCHP) began more than a decade ago, grounded in a shared belief that everyone should have access to essential eye care regardless of their housing or financial situation. The relationship first took shape when Specsavers founder Dame Mary Perkins began supporting VCHP with donations of frames, equipment and funding for early clinic development, several years before becoming a formal patron in 2014. During this time, Specsavers colleagues increasingly volunteered in clinics, establishing the foundations for a values‑driven, long‑term partnership.

Since then, and particularly since 2022, the relationship has grown from longstanding philanthropic support into a strategic, multi‑year collaboration. Specsavers has funded a major expansion of Vision Care’s staffing, invested in clinical infrastructure and IT, equipped new clinics in community hubs such as Crisis Skylights, and supported the creation of a national Experts by Experience panel to shape service design.

The partnership has delivered additional clinics, piloted innovative domiciliary services and contributed to national policy discussions aimed at removing barriers to NHS sight tests. Of the nearly 7,000 people supported through Specsavers’ Homelessness Programme, 4,383 were helped specifically through Vision Care activity, demonstrating the impact of the partnership.