The partnership has played a vital role in developing sustainable care models and improving eye health outcomes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Pacific Islander communities.

The Fred Hollows Foundation has announced that it has received $10 million in donations from Specsavers since their partnership began 16 years ago.

The multi-million-dollar contribution has helped fund crucial programs, cataract surgeries, diabetic retinopathy treatments and the training and employment of local eye health professionals. These initiatives have provided access to eye care and sight-saving interventions for more than 375,000 people who might otherwise have lost their sight to preventable or treatable conditions.

The Fred Hollows Foundation, established by the late Professor Fred Hollows, is renowned for its commitment to tackling avoidable blindness globally. The foundation works closely with Indigenous communities in Australia, where rates of blindness among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples remain three times higher than those of non-Indigenous Australians. The support from Specsavers has directly contributed to reducing these disparities by increasing access to high-quality eye care services.

In the Pacific, where eye health services are often scarce, Specsavers’ support has helped fund a mobile eye clinic in Fiji as well as training for local healthcare workers who, after graduating, return to their communities to work with their Ministries of Health, giving thousands of people access to essential eye care.

Access to eyecare is a basic human right, not a privilege, according to The Fred Hollows Foundation Founding Director Gabi Hollows. But due to distance, language and cultural barriers, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Pacific Islander communities don’t have access to culturally safe and high-quality eye care, leading to avoidable vision loss and blindness.

“We’re celebrating something truly incredible. To everyone at Specsavers, you have all played an essential role in enabling us to deliver the gift of sight. On behalf of The Fred Hollows Foundation and on behalf of every person whose life has been changed due to this partnership, thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Hollows said.

Meanwhile, Specsavers Head of Sustainability Cathy Rennie Matos said that the partnership with The Fred Hollows Foundation was born from a philosophy that everyone should have the right to access high-quality and affordable eyecare and eyewear regardless of their circumstances.

“Over the past 16 years, Specsavers has supported the foundation in Australia and New Zealand both financially and non-financially,” Matos said. “From our community program, which sees a small amount donated from every pair of glasses sold, to our limited edition glasses to fundraising events like Fred’s Big Run and matching team member donations, every cent has added up and means that more people in remote and underserved communities can access essential care, ensuring preventable blindness is no longer a barrier to living a full and independent life.”

In terms of non-financial support, Specsavers assists with the foundation’s ambitions through volunteering and teaching placements, equipment donations, pro bono support, education and advocacy, to name a few.

“Reaching this $10 million donation milestone is an incredible achievement, and all of our store partners, every person who works in our stores, everyone in our support office, lab and warehouse, and every customer who has shopped with us helped us to achieve this milestone,” Matos noted.

As the partnership enters its next phase, both organisations continue to dedicate themselves to improving access to sustainable and high-quality eyecare services. With preventable vision loss still affecting thousands across Australia and the Pacific, this enduring partnership remains a beacon of hope for the future of global eye care.

Read also: The Fred Hollows Foundation to improve access to eye healthcare