A team from Specsavers is set to give free eye tests and glasses to people experiencing homelessness at a clinic in Cardiff on September 29.
Colleagues from the Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Home Visits team are set to hold an eye care and hearing clinic, which will offer people in need a sight test, OCT scan and glasses. They will also provide hearing screening and advice.
The clinic, organised ahead of World Homeless Day (10 October 2025), will take place between 10am – 4pm at the Huggard Centre.
The Specsavers team is partnering with homelessness charity Vision Care for Homeless People and inviting those affected by any form of homelessness to attend the clinic on Monday, September 29.
The team has held three clinics at the Huggard Centre this month already, providing more than 32 sight tests and 26 pairs of glasses.
The clinics are part of Specsavers wider homelessness programme, and the team is proud to mark World Homeless Day by continuing to improve access to eye and hearing care for people experiencing homelessness or facing other barriers to care – whether financial, residential or not being eligible for NHS support.
One in three people who experience homelessness need glasses, so the clinics, which are some of many being run by Specsavers teams across the country, offer an invaluable service to those experiencing eye and ear problems, yet are encountering obstacles to receiving care.
Customer service director, Alison Warren from the Specsavers Home Visits team, says: “Our ambition is to ensure that everyone experiencing homelessness can access free, appropriate eye and hearing care.
“By helping people achieve better sight and hearing, we hope to improve their quality of life and unfortunately, we know that for many, this is not the case because it can be incredibly difficult to get free access to this care.
“By holding an out-of-hours clinic this World Homeless Day, and working closely with Vision Care for Homeless People we are aiming to make expert care accessible to our community whilst raising awareness of the barriers currently in place.”
As well as running eye and ear care clinics across stores, Specsavers also collaborates with Crisis, Big Issue and other homelessness services to create long-term solutions to remove healthcare barriers.
Specsavers is also calling for changes to government policy to remove unnecessary barriers that make it difficult for people experiencing homelessness to access the eye care they need. Long term plans include influencing policy and systems, so people affected have access to free ear checks, eye tests and glasses, and replacement glasses if broken, lost or stolen.
Anyone who wishes to attend the clinic can request an appointment by calling 01446 508128 or speaking to the team at the Huggard Centre.
To find out more, visit Specsavers’ Helping people to access care page.
