Left to right Stephen Olwell, Focal Point Opticians , Edel Doherty NCBI , Robbie Henshaw and Aine Shanley, Focal Point Opticians
Press Release
23/5/2017
Immediate release
It was a case of all eyes on a tall, dark and well-built sporting hero as he dropped in to a Carrick on Shannon Opticians recently!
Robbie Henshaw, who lines out for the Irish Rugby Team, proved to be a popular visitor to the new Focal Point Opticians in Bridge St, a unique partnership with the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI).
The popular player is an Ambassador for the NCBI.
Dispensing Optician and Practise Manager, Aine Shanley, who is from Leitrim Village , says she was delighted to welcome Robbie to the store describing him as an “encouraging and supportive friend of this new venture. It was a lovely occasion and in particular some of the younger visitors to our store were thrilled to meet their hero! Robbie was very generous and signed three Lions jerseys which we will be giving away, together with other goodies in an upcoming competition running shortly. This will be based around the three All Blacks fixtures on the upcoming 2017 Lions Tour from June 24th to July 8th. Watch our Facebook page for more details!”.
Aine also encourages people in Carrick to keep their diaries free on a very special night in August “We will be hosting a very unique event , Dine in The Dark with Robbie Henshaw, on the 29th August, This is a sensory and social dining experience , you can join us and put your blindfold on for a taste sensation followed by a fun filled night. More on this anon! Most importantly the funds raised will go towards NCBI’s very valuable services to blind and visually impaired people in Leitrim”.
Commenting on the success of Focal Point, Aine says “We are delighted with the response from customers as well as local industry, It has made our launch into this wonderful community very rewarding. To mark this, Focal Point will be holding an appreciation evening in the practice on the 30th June from 6pm”.
NCBI’S Edel Doherty who together with her two boys Diarmuid and Daniel , were delighted to meet their hero Robbie!
Aine echoes the NCBI’s call to have regular sight tests, stressing that many conditions are highly preventable and treatable if caught early .
“Prevention is key and we are currently preparing to visit a number of local groups where we will deliver informative talks regarding different aspects of eye health. We hope to raise awareness on these topics while advising on the most suitable products and treatments”.
NCBI has a presence in every county in the country, providing emotional and practical support, rehabilitation services and hands on training to help people who are blind or vision impaired to live independently and confidently. The charity must raise €4 out of every €10 it spends on vital services.
CEO OF NCBI, Chris White, says “There are currently 51,718 people with sight loss in Ireland and this number is rising. The earlier we see someone in their sight loss journey the better the outcome. The majority of people we work with actually have some remaining vision and one of the first things we do is provide information and advice about how their vision has been affected and how they can maximise the vision they still have. Having a consultation room in Focal Point Opticians is a great opportunity for us to engage with even more people locally.”
Focal Point Opticians will stock a full range of designer frames including, Guess, Elle, Gant, Joules, Pepe Jeans, Ted Baker and many more.
If you would like to make an appointment call 07196-21878 or call into Áine in Mercantile Plaza. To access NCBI’s services contact 074 9177657.
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For more information please contact Sally McEllistrim NCBI on 01 8821975/ 086 9471600 sally.mcellistrim@ncbi.ie
Captions:
Image 1: Left to right Stephen Olwell, Focal Point Opticians , Edel Doherty NCBI , Robbie Henshaw and Aine Shanley, Focal Point Opticians
Image 2: NCBI’S Edel Doherty who together with her two boys Diarmuid and Daniel , were delighted to meet their hero Robbie
- There are 367 blind and visually impaired people in Leitrim
- Focal Point Opticians provides a professional, friendly service at all stages of a customer’s journey.
- NCBI (National Council for the Blind or Ireland) is Ireland’s national charity working for the rising number of people affected by sight loss. Its practical and emotional advice supports help 8,000 people and their families face their futures with confidence every year.
- Irish rugby international Robbie Henshaw is an NCBI ambassador in 2017.