MEDIA RELEASE
Fred Hollows
Specsavers and the Fred Hollows foundation join forces again to make indigenous eye care more visible
This year marks 10 years of the partnership between Specsavers and The Fred Hollows Foundation, which aims to close the gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health.
Over the past 10 years, Specsavers has donated over $4 million to The Foundation, to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples access high quality, culturally safe and patient centric eye care.
As part of their efforts to make Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eyecare more visible, Specsavers and The Fred Hollows Foundation have again joined forces to launch two limited edition frames, with $25 from each pair of glasses sold contributing to The Fred Hollows Foundation’s work in Australia.
This year’s glasses feature the artwork of contemporary Aboriginal artist Rheanna Lotter, who gave permission for her art to be transferred onto the frames as a way of raising awareness and to make a positive difference.
Rheanna is a Yuin woman and started painting when she was a young child, finding it as a great way to connect her to her culture. She is passionate about Aboriginal art and its ability to tell stories. In 2014 she created her art business Ngandabaa, which means ‘Red Belly Snake’ and was her grandfather’s totem and nickname.
The art featured on this year’s frames is called ‘Unity’, representing the unity of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, past, present and future. Rheanna describes the heart of this year’s artwork as ‘always guided by our Ancestors and our Elders, we come together as one. By coming together, we enable the acknowledgement of our past, and move towards a more united future.’
Blindness and serious eye conditions continue to be prevalent in Indigenous communities, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples more likely to go blind than other Australians, simply because the health system is not meeting their needs. But it doesn’t have to be that way, and Specsavers and The Fred Hollows Foundation are determined to close the gap.
The Fred Hollows Foundation CEO, Ian Wishart, says access to eye care in Australia isn’t one-size-fits-all.
“Ninety percent of the problems Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults suffer from are preventable or treatable. If you’re Indigenous [and] live remotely, your access to something as simple as a cataract surgery might be two, three or four years longer than if you are in a higher socio-economic group. A wealthier Australian may notice vision loss and go to a private specialist before they lose their ability to drive their car. But many Indigenous people can go years before they are screened. By then, they are almost blind – or may have been blind for several years.”
Specsavers, alongside The Fred Hollows Foundation, is committed to making eye care more equitable. Over the last decade, Specsavers has helped fund initiatives such as The Lion’s Outback Vision Van, a mobile eye clinic that provides ophthalmology care to patients in rural and remote parts of Western Australia.
Specsavers’ Head of Sustainability, Cathy Rennie Matos, says:
“Specsavers and The Fred Hollows Foundation share a belief that everyone should be able to access high quality eyecare and we are so proud to support the incredibly important work The Foundation is doing to close the gap by improving access to eye health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Unity
Rheanna Lotter
We’re also so grateful for the support of our customers in helping us to make this difference in our community. While a lot of great progress has been made over the past 10 years, we still have a long way to go and these limited edition frames are just one way that we can raise money for The Foundation and awareness for Indigenous eye health.”
Priced from $199 for 2 pairs single vision, the limited edition frames are available exclusively at Specsavers from 11 November.
“With $25 from each pair sold being donation to The Fred Hollows Foundation, this year we hope to raise $250,000 to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote communities to have better access to life changing surgery and high-quality eye care”.
Previous limited edition frames have included artwork from renowned Aboriginal artist Gumatj leader, Peter Datjing Burarrwanga, and the late Aboriginal artist, Langaliki Langaliki.
For more information or to purchase the frames online visit: www.specsavers.com.au.
MEDIA RELEASE
Fred Hollows Limited Edition
Specsavers and the Fred Hollows foundation join forces again to make indigenous eye care more visible
This year marks 10 years of the partnership between Specsavers and The Fred Hollows Foundation, which aims to close the gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health.
Over the past 10 years, Specsavers has donated over $4 million to The Foundation, to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples access high quality, culturally safe and patient centric eye care.
As part of their efforts to make Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eyecare more visible, Specsavers and The Fred Hollows Foundation have again joined forces to launch two limited edition frames, with $25 from each pair of glasses sold contributing to The Fred Hollows Foundation’s work in Australia.
This year’s glasses feature the artwork of contemporary Aboriginal artist Rheanna Lotter, who gave permission for her art to be transferred onto the frames as a way of raising awareness and to make a positive difference.
Rheanna is a Yuin woman and started painting when she was a young child, finding it as a great way to connect her to her culture. She is passionate about Aboriginal art and its ability to tell stories. In 2014 she created her art business Ngandabaa, which means ‘Red Belly Snake’ and was her grandfather’s totem and nickname.
The art featured on this year’s frames is called ‘Unity’, representing the unity of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, past, present and future. Rheanna describes the heart of this year’s artwork as ‘always guided by our Ancestors and our Elders, we come together as one. By coming together, we enable the acknowledgement of our past, and move towards a more united future.’
Blindness and serious eye conditions continue to be prevalent in Indigenous communities, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples more likely to go blind than other Australians, simply because the health system is not meeting their needs. But it doesn’t have to be that way, and Specsavers and The Fred Hollows Foundation are determined to close the gap.
The Fred Hollows Foundation CEO, Ian Wishart, says access to eye care in Australia isn’t one-size-fits-all.
“Ninety percent of the problems Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults suffer from are preventable or treatable. If you’re Indigenous [and] live remotely, your access to something as simple as a cataract surgery might be two, three or four years longer than if you are in a higher socio-economic group. A wealthier Australian may notice vision loss and go to a private specialist before they lose their ability to drive their car. But many Indigenous people can go years before they are screened. By then, they are almost blind – or may have been blind for several years.”
Specsavers, alongside The Fred Hollows Foundation, is committed to making eye care more equitable. Over the last decade, Specsavers has helped fund initiatives such as The Lion’s Outback Vision Van, a mobile eye clinic that provides ophthalmology care to patients in rural and remote parts of Western Australia.
Specsavers’ Head of Sustainability, Cathy Rennie Matos, says:
“Specsavers and The Fred Hollows Foundation share a belief that everyone should be able to access high quality eyecare and we are so proud to support the incredibly important work The Foundation is doing to close the gap by improving access to eye health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
We’re also so grateful for the support of our customers in helping us to make this difference in our community. While a lot of great progress has been made over the past 10 years, we still have a long way to go and these limited edition frames are just one way that we can raise money for The Foundation and awareness for Indigenous eye health.”
Priced from $199 for 2 pairs single vision, the limited edition frames are available exclusively at Specsavers from 11 November.
“With $25 from each pair sold being donation to The Fred Hollows Foundation, this year we hope to raise $250,000 to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote communities to have better access to life changing surgery and high-quality eye care”.
Previous limited edition frames have included artwork from renowned Aboriginal artist Gumatj leader, Peter Datjing Burarrwanga, and the late Aboriginal artist, Langaliki Langaliki.
For more information or to purchase the frames online visit: www.specsavers.com.au.
Unity
Rhianna Lotter
LIMITED EDITION FRAMES
Contact
Kalli Loukides
kalli@ampr.com.au
+61 466 888 820
Stephanie McCormack
stephanie.mccormack@specsavers.com
0477 279 700
*Prices correct at the time of distribution. Frames available while stocks last
*All glasses are priced complete with single vision lenses