Improving Eye Care Services for People Affected by Homelessness

The partnership between Vision Care for Homeless People (VCHP) and Specsavers began in early 2023, built on a shared belief that everyone deserves access to quality eye care, regardless of housing status.

The core aim of the partnership is to eliminate barriers to sight for people experiencing homelessness by dramatically expanding access to free eye tests and glasses. Together, we set out to increase the number of clinics across the UK, improve clinical standards, and embed sight as a fundamental part of public health and social inclusion strategies.

For VCHP, the partnership aimed to transform a small but impactful charity into a scalable, sustainable organisation able to meet growing demand. For Specsavers, the goal was to reach more people as part of its community sustainability agenda by directly supporting people most excluded from mainstream eye care, while giving its colleagues meaningful opportunities to contribute their time and expertise.

Crucially, this partnership was not designed as a one-way donation, but as a long-term, values-driven collaboration to demonstrate how clinical excellence and inclusion health can transform lives.