Local community put clearly in focus at Specsavers’ Ashbourne branch
SINCE opening its doors only nine months ago in Victoria Square, Ashbourne, the local Specsavers store has already firmly established itself as part of the community, reaching out to local charities and sports teams.
Specsavers in Ashbourne first opened its doors in February this year, offering both hearing and eye care services.
The store may still be new, but the team is no stranger to eye care, with the experienced optical staff clocking up almost 75 years of experience between them.
Being a relatively new store, Ashbourne Specsavers benefits from excellent facilities and the latest technology, including a significant investment in the stateof-the-art Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) machine.
This piece of equipment, which is usually found in hospital eye departments, produces a structural scan of the eye, including parts that wouldn’t normally be visible with traditional eye testing techniques.
It means the expert team can pick up any problems in the eye very early on.
Store director, Andrew Wells, says: “It’s a top priority for us that our community gets an excellent quality eye health service. That’s why we’ve invested in making sure our skilled optometrists have access to the latest technology and great facilities.”
SUPPORTING SPORT
The store has wasted no time in getting involved with local sports teams, sponsoring both the Ashbourne Aztecs U12s football team with training jackets and the local rugby club, Ashbourne RUFC, with shirt sponsorship for the 1st XV team.
Vice chairman of Ashbourne RUFC, Andy Bailey, visited the store on Victoria Square on Saturday, November 10, when the club was presented with the sponsored shirts. Specsavers staff and customers were also joined by members of the 1st XV team and Mick Pepper, life member of the club and current Derbyshire RFU president.
“In these first nine months we’ve
really felt like part of the community, building up a fantastic customer base,” says Andrew.
“Ashbourne has been so welcoming, and we want to show how much that’s appreciated.
“Our passion, eye health, is part of overall wellbeing which is supported by staying active. It’s important to us that we give back to local causes, and sport is such a positive thing for children and young people to help develop team spirit and a healthy lifestyle.”
FESTIVE SIGHTS
Staff are also looking forward to being a part of Ashbourne’s Christmas celebrations for the first time this year.
Late night shopping in Ashbourne on Friday, December 7 is an eagerly anticipated event in the festive calendar, including an atmospheric lantern procession through the town, a craft fair in the town hall, and charity stalls.
Local residents get together in workshops ahead of the event to create the elaborate lanterns that star in the procession.
The Specsavers store will be joining other businesses in staying
open until 8.30pm for customers who are treating themselves to new glasses for Christmas.
For an added celebratory festive feel, they’ll also be serving mulled wine and mince pies through the evening.
Even if you haven’t noticed a change in your eyes, Specsavers recommends that everyone should have their eyes tested every two years, or sooner if you have any problems. Regular eye examinations are an important health check and can help pick up underlying problems before they become a major issue.
“There’s still time to book an appointment and visit us before Christmas, when we all want to make the most of time spent with family and friends over the festive season,” Andrew adds.
“The late-night opening is a great opportunity for locals to come in to see us outside of our normal opening hours and take an eye or hearing test.’
For more information or to book an appointment, visit Specsavers at 3 Victoria Square, Ashbourne, Derby, DE16 1GG, call 01335 348538 or go to www.specsavers.co.uk/ stores/ashbournederby
It’s a top priority for us that our community gets an excellent quality eye health service. Andrew Wells