UNWANTED spectacles from the region are on their way to help people in need worldwide.
The used glasses were donated locally following an appeal by Dumfries Lions Club, during which 35 collection points were set up in the area.
And now members have transported 4000 pairs to Birmingham, from where they will go to poorer countries throughout the world for people who would not otherwise have access to spectacles.
Local Lion Wendy Tremble, who heads up the spectacles project, has seen a huge increase in the numbers of donations and expressed her gratitude to all the business and other owners who hosted collection boxes.
She said: “This is an ongoing Lions International project and the contribution being made by the Dumfries Lions Club is considerable and much appreciated by the Lions organisation.”
Wendy noted that the glasses can end up in Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Nigeria and Nepal, while the Unite for Sight Charity also take glasses with them on missions to countries across the world.
Furthermore, they are used by the National Police Aid Charity in the Gambia for eye camps and the Army working in Mali send them to independent charities in Chad, Tanzania and Bangladesh.
