Today (Monday 7th November), Big Issue Group (BIG) and Specsavers have announced a major new partnership which will see the company offer all Big Issue vendors free access to eyecare, as well as becoming the sole sponsor of the iconic red tabards.
As part of this partnership, all Big Issue vendors will be offered a £64 Specsavers gift voucher, which will give them access to a sight test, an overall eye health ‘OCT’ scan and eyewear. In addition, all vendors will be offered free ear wax removal.
Specsavers’ support of BIG is part of its broader ambition to break down the barriers that people experiencing poverty and homelessness face in receiving healthcare, as for many, a lack of permanent address prevents them from accessing NHS services Alongside its partnership with BIG, the company will be working with homelessness charity Crisis and developing its long-standing partnership with Vision Care for Homeless People.
George Anderson, a Big Issue vendor who sells outside the BBC building in London’s Portland Place, was one of the first to benefit from the partnership. George has had the same glasses for 15 years.
He explained: “My glasses are falling apart, and they slip off continuously. There’s no grip anymore. One day they blew off in the middle of Regent Street. Luckily, they were totally undamaged apart from a broken nose clip. There have been disadvantages to having the same glasses because my eyes have changed. I find I’m having to peer over my specs rather than through them, particularly in dim light, if I’m using a card reader or selling the Big Issue at night.”
George continued: “The primary reason for leaving it so long was just cost – I was fearful. I suppose there was a slight ignorance on my part. I never went into a place like Specsavers to enquire. I just assumed it was going to be too expensive for me to deal with.”