Winning Team May 2022

Winning Team May 2022

Winning Team May 2022

SMILE winners Charity support for Ukraine

Sensational service stories Exam success shout out

A magazine for Specsavers colleagues

Contents Mixed stories Vivienne Westwood Launch day

Dear colleague,

04 08 10 11

‘You legends!’

That’s how one customer addressed a store team and I can’t think of a better phrase to sum up the incredible service and care you all offer.

Support for Ukraine Charity champions Congratulations Smiles Cheers for the years New beginnings

This customer’s letter earned the store team a Smiles award and rightly so. You can read this and the other Smiles award-winning stories on page 12. I don’t want to spoil it for you, but I’m sure when you read it you’ll be as inspired as I am by this level of care. You might even be fighting back tears. There’s a lot to smile about throughout this edition of Winning Team. You can read about some of the amazing fundraising efforts for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal, as well as many other charity events. You can also read about some brilliant achievements from apprenticeships passed to training completed and qualifications gained.

14 18

Elsewhere, we go in the spotlight with two colleagues who live and breathe contact lenses, and we hear from a domiciliary partner about what attracted him to the role. There’s an update on some of the fantastic events that have taken place recently and we share some of your ideas to improve Socrates. All this, plus long service achievements, store anniversaries, refurbishments, openings and re-openings, stories of amazing customer service, heart-warming tales of sight and lives being saved and transformed, photos from stores’ Vivienne Westwood launch events, cakes, sandwiches, balloons, flowers, a visit from something called a Tik Tok sensation and a ‘guess the frame baby Yoda is wearing’ competition.

22 26 28 32 36 37 38 40 42 44

Sensational service Making a difference Socrates feature updates MenoTalk Perfect day Colleague social events Contact lens in the spotlight Customer Letters

If that’s not enough to put a spring in your step, I don’t know what is!

Happy reading, you legends!

Kind regards Dame Mary Perkins

Thank you to Bimal Kumar (Consultant Ophthalmologist and Partner), Councillor Rufia Ashra (Town Mayor of Northampton), Dame Mary Perkins, Michelle Mulvaney (Operational Partner), Anant Sharma (Consultant Ophthalmologist and Partner) for being on our front cover. This was taken at the opening of the new Northampton.

An inspiration to others

Big thank you to my work family

A young colleague at the Irvine store went out of her way to help an injured neighbour, including transforming his house. Optometry Director, Gillian Syme, shares how team member Brooke Anderson, joined the store aged just 16, straight from school in 2016. She explains, ‘In June 2020 during lockdown she got to know her neighbour, a 53-year-old man who had head injuries after an accident at work. He used to sit on his step and eat cold beans. Brooke started to take him some soup and other stuff that she’d made for her own dinner. He was very grateful and invited her in. Brooke was shocked to see a hole in the hall floor and the lounge floor was ‘bouncy’. This was all as a result of a flood caused by a kitchen tap. Brooke noticed that the man had no bed and that he slept on his couch. Brooke decided to crowdfund to try and help this man. She raised £10.5k. Through posts on Facebook, three tradesmen all agreed to do the work in the house for free. The house was totally transformed with a new kitchen, bathroom, floors etc. The house was also totally redecorated and furnished.

Clinical Supervisor Christine Smith from the Washington store thanks all her colleagues throughout her store and sister store in Sainsburys. She explains, ‘I have worked in the Washington store for just over 12 years, and I can say I have never been so happy in a workplace. We are all a little family and care for each other in work and outside of work. A couple of weeks ago I was robbed in my own home, and they got away with my iPhone and a couple of other things. It was very upsetting and traumatic for me. The day after this happened, I received many phone calls and texts off my work family checking I was okay and offering support. I also received the most beautiful bunch of flowers from the

directors. I can’t say how grateful I am that I have these people in my life. It always makes my workday so much easier when I know I work with such an amazing team. I wish I could do something to thank them on how much they all mean to me for their support in my time of need. So, hoping this can be printed as a thank you. Thank you to Specsavers for making my life so much better for being a place to be happy.

It was while Brooke was helping with the decorating that she started to notice she was getting double vision and muscle pains. One of our optometrists referred her and after months of tests she was finally diagnosed with MS in March 2021.’ Gillian goes on to say, ‘Brooke never moans, she is always cheery and is extremely brave about her MS. She is doing really well and managing to work full time.’

Celebrating multiculturalism

Just in time When Amy Evans from the Cannock store completed her First Aid training on 11 March, she did not expect to have to use it so soon after. Playing football on 12 March, one of the opposition players had an episode and because Amy completed the course the day before, she knew exactly what to do and ended up having to administer CPR whilst the ambulance was called. Incredible timing and everyone was grateful that someone knew what to do.

Learning to save lives The Great Yarmouth and Gorleston stores have also been busy carrying out emergency first aid at work courses in their stores, learning to save lives as well as save sight.

St Albans have been busy with two recent events. They had a multicultural food day where every colleague brought in food to celebrate multiculturalism.

Then colleagues Hannah Barker and Nilo Ebrhimgeel attended the careers day at the local school to talk about careers in audiology and optics.

Generating smiles

Sauchiehall St. have donated over 200 high vis vests to the local schools, child minders and nurseries.

Sauchiehall St. recently played ‘guess the frame baby Yoda is wearing’ at their 5-minute manager catch up with whoever guessing correctly winning sweets! Everyone started the day with a smile.

4 Winning Team | May 2022

May 2022 | Winning Team 5

Hemel Hempstead visit local school Optometrist Selina Holmes from the Hemel Hempstead store shared how her son, aged 5, had been prescribed spectacles but was struggling to comply with wearing them, as were some of his spectacle wearing classmates. So, the schoolteachers agreed to re-create an Opticians in their classroom and called upon Selina for help with the set up. Since many of the pupils’ wear spectacles the teachers thought this was a good idea to encourage them to wear them as well as educate the other children. Keziah Hilton, Senior Admin Advisor and Priti Amrania, Store PR and Dispenser also recently participated in a Speed Networking Careers Event at a local secondary school to talk about various Optical and Audiology prospects at Specsavers. Keziah was a former student of the school before joining Hemel Hempstead as an Apprentice and now Senior Store Administrator. Two hundred and forty students heard about all the roles in store with the aim to inspire students to pursue a career in the world of Specsavers .

Frame training

Training sessions were held in Hemel Hempstead for the Liberty frame launch where they were briefed about the history of Liberty of London, the iconic features incorporated into the frames and much more. They then held a catwalk style presentation of the frames. The team also had fun with the Converse refresh launch. Frames Merchandiser and Dispenser Kieran Craddock highlighted the features of each style and details of the fabulous Converse competition to the team, followed by a mini catwalk to showcase each style.

Local sponsorship Mahon Point are sponsoring the local Douglas Hall football team. Here is the under-8’s proudly wearing their new Specsavers sponsored training bibs.

Celebrity visit The Motherwell store was excited to welcome Tik Tok sensation Nathan Evans into store for his regular eye test and new glasses.

Spreading some Easter cheer Over Easter, the team at Shipley handed out Easter eggs to support local charities.

Birthday surprise creates Smiles all round

The team at Naas were able to surprise rugby mad team colleague Alison Byrne on her birthday with tickets to see Ireland v Wales the store had won. They definitely went to someone who appreciated them as the video shows.

The Crumlin store announced they will be sponsoring Crumlin United football team. The store has committed support to the U12 Robbie Keane Academy Cup at Crumlin United.

6 Winning Team | May 2022

May 2022 | Winning Team 7

Vivienne Westwood launch day

Teams up and down the country dressed up in punk style clothing to celebrate the launch of Vivienne Westwood. The exclusive collection of twelve optical frames and three sun styles launched in all UK, Ireland and Spain stores.

Hannah Piper from the Gillingham, Kent store said, ‘The team and customers absolutely loved seeing everyone dressed up in punk style clothing and it was a great talking point when discussing the glasses to patients. Many of the elder generation enjoyed talking about the days when they enjoyed dressing in punk style clothing and what they got up to.’

8 Winning Team | May 2022

May 2022 | Winning Team 9

Charity champions

Support for Ukraine

Partners have pledged £250,000 to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal, which supports 15 major charities directly involved in Ukraine. The Group then matched this donation, so a total of £500,000 was donated to DEC. This support will help those facing hardships due to the war in Ukraine.

Specsavers Ópticas donate more than 7,500€ to the ONCE Foundation for Guide Dogs

Specsavers Ópticas has donated €7,730.47 to the ONCE Foundation for Guide Dogs (FOPG), which builds on their fundraising for FOPG since March 2020. This will support the important work of the FOPG and the services it provides. Jorge Martínez de Lizarduy Araico, of Specsavers Ópticas, says, ‘We are passionate about protecting vision and offering the best care for customers with visual deficiencies, so our collaboration with FOPG has been the perfect way to give back and ensure those people with vision loss in Spain get the help and resources they need.’ Cannock Crisis care Rather than doing secret Santa last December the Cannock team decided to donate to the national charity for homeless people ‘Crisis’ and contribute towards helping someone get somewhere warm and safe to sleep. £255 was raised.

Maria Jesus Varela FOPG and Jorge Martinez de Lizarduy Araico

Supporting mental health

Tamworth Ankerside and Ventura stores announced support for Changes Tamworth, a mental health charity, that offers recovery and wellbeing services to those in mental distress in the West Midlands, throughout 2022. Staff will be undertaking challenges individually as well as supporting fundraisers in store

Lichfield donated items to the Bearded Broz, an organisation based in Smethwick, who act as a donation hub for charities working in Ukraine to help those in need. Midsomer Norton decorated the store with blue and yellow balloons and asked customers for donations for specs MOTs (cleaning and adjustments). Rochdale has raised over £1,350 in response to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s appeal by offering MOTs for glasses, Ukrainian flag-coloured handmade cupcakes and ribbon badges in return for cash donations. Faith Ward from Spytty Road, Newport has her own business as a florist alongside her work in Specsavers. To raise money to support Ukraine, she designed beautiful bouquets of sunflowers - the national flower of Ukraine. She raised over £300.

In addition, stores up and down the country have been supporting the people of Ukraine locally with fundraisers and donations, here are just a few examples: Cheltenham responded to the appeal for humanitarian aid in Ukraine by setting up collection points in store where donations of toiletries, medicines and clothes could be made. Ashby de la Zouch committed to donating £5 from each eye test carried out between Monday 28 February and Monday 7 March 2022. The team in Bath set up collection tins in store and asked customers for donations. One member of the team, fundraising coordinator Lydia Cawthorne-Luff, went a step further, taking donations of warm clothing and blankets to refugee camps in Calais with the crisis charity, Care4Calais.

Stephanie Easthope, Manager at Tamworth Sainsbury’s alongside the Wellness Coach and Project Manager from Changes

10 Winning Team | May 2022

May 2022 | Winning Team 11

Brave the shave Ashby transformed into a hairdressers for one night only, as a team member had her head shaved to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. After a close friend was diagnosed with cancer, in-store trainer Nicola Lappin wanted to show her support. Pledging to Brave the Shave, she is now sporting a close cropped hair do which was given to her by her sister-in-law, Sarah Gilbert, who works at Specsavers head office. Nicola said, ‘I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated, I know the money will be put to good use in helping with the continued fight against cancer.’ You can still sponsor Nicola by visiting her fundraising page here . Fundraising for Comic Relief Middlesbrough had a fantastic day for Comic Relief where they raised over £80 from a raffle they set up. All staff were full of smiles and there was a real buzz in store.

Kass Warden, Charlotte Robinson, Karolina Romanow and Helen Grainger

The team at Bradford Broadway raised money for Comic Relief through a team bake off.

In Blackburn staff baked cupcakes and cake-pops for their bake sale and dressed down for the day. They raised a total of £130.

Hair raising fundraising Four members of the home visits team covering areas across Leicestershire and Northamptonshire are taking part in the ‘Dye Your Hair for Dementia’ fundraising event between 1 and 15 May to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society. Optical assistants Kass Warden, Helen Grainger, Karolina Romanow and manager Charlotte Robinson will each be adopting a new hairdo for the fortnight in a bid to raise funds to support those living with dementia and their loved

ones. ‘As a team, carrying out eye examinations for those who can’t leave their homes, we come in contact with many people living with dementia. So, we thought this was a great way to help raise money to support them and their families,’ says Charlotte Robinson. ‘Between us we’re opting for some rainbow inspired locks – with red, pink and purple on the cards, we’ll hopefully bring a smile to our customers faces, and fingers crossed the dye washes out eventually!

Local food bank donation The Norwich stores did a collection for their local food bank Trussell Trust Food Bank.

Raising money for Guide Dogs at the London Marathon

Caroline Dalchow, Optical Assistant in the Thetford store shares her good news of being selected out of a ballot for the London Marathon after 6 years of trying. Caroline will be raising money for guide dogs which is also supported by the store. Caroline has completed 46 marathons since 2017 but the London Marathon is her ultimate goal, and the medal she has always wanted. If you would like to support Caroline, you can donate here .

Kelsey Seaman, Tida Saidykhan, Director Suraj Shah

12 Winning Team | May 2022

May 2022 | Winning Team 13

Congratulations

ILM success Congratulations to all those who recently passed their ILM exam - an amazing achievement. Here is a snapshot of some of the many that recently passed:

Apprenticeship success Passing their apprenticeships with distinction:

Allan Martin, Kirstall, ILM2

Carl Furnell, Beford, ILM3

Courtney Bulloch, Dundee, ILM2

Ellie in the Bradley Stoke store

Beth Waters in the Melksham store.

Jordan Spragg at Tamworth Ankerside

Sophie Marven at Tamworth Ventura.

Hemel Hempstead share the benefits of Apprenticeship

George Bolton, Strood, ILM2

Iain Timney, Dunfermline, ILM 2

Mariam Tall, Driffield, ILM3

Apprentice Vladimir Bursuc at Hemel Hempstead shared his story and the benefits of the apprenticeship program during Apprenticeship Week (Feb 7-13) to help inspire school leavers to follow in his footsteps. Vladimir first heard about the scheme when the store visited the local careers fair to outline the Traineeship and Apprenticeship scheme. Vladimir explains, ‘I was very attracted to the learning development opportunities and being able to expand my education.’ Upon finishing his apprenticeship in April, he has now set his sights on the Cert 3 course.

Rhian Rowlands, Manchester – Arndale Centre, ILM2

Niraj Sudera, Hedge End, ILM3

Priya Verma, Bedford, ILM3

Nellie Williams, Optical Apprentice (previously Trainee) has been selected by the Department of Education as the face of Traineeships. With support from Dena Wyatt (National Apprenticeship Manager) and Louise England (General Manager) they guided Nellie throughout her programme and collaborated with the Department of Education to facilitate highlighting Nellies experiences at Hemel Hempstead. A media crew then visited the store to film Nellie talking about her Traineeship experience.

Stefan Roy, Hinckley, ILM2

14 Winning Team | May 2022

May 2022 | Winning Team 15

Passing Cert 4 Congratulations to Lorna Davies in Nantwich for passing her Cert 4. Manager Bethan Lunt says, ‘Lorna has great commitment and is an extremely valued colleague. Cert 4 has been hard work for Lorna who has had lots to deal with the last year and she still gets the job done in outstanding fashion.’

Newly qualified Congratulations to Pre reg optician, Mohammed Chaudhry who has recently become a qualified optometrist. He has worked in the Wythenshawe store for almost 5 years after joining as an optical assistant.

Audiology Clinical Support qualified Emma Keogh from the Donaghmede store completed her Audiology Clinical Support (ACS) training with flying colours and was presented with flowers to recognise her hard work.

Congratulations goes to Tiffany Chapman from Hemel Hempstead for passing her ACS. Audiology Director Geeta Patel says, ‘We are proud of Tiffany’s achievements of going from no prior knowledge of Audiology to passing this course. It’s fabulous news.’

Accreditation for MECs and Glaucoma Congratulations to Amy Patel, Selina Holmes, Meera Ruparelia, Ridhika Valand, Leaha Tank in Hemel Hempstead who all worked hard to pass their OSCE’s postgraduate exams and become accredited for WOPEC MECs and Glaucoma (GMS) clinical services.

Driving contact lenses Stourbridge Store Supervisor Armani Mohammed gives a shout out to the team for getting to the number one spot in the Worcestershire and Herefordshire region on contact lens overdue patients, as well as Direct Debits. He says, ‘It’s all down to a great team effort.’ He explains, ‘Nykole keeps on top of the CL reports weekly and follows up with customers throughout their contact lens trial journey. Terry Tam is our contact lens genius, who will happily do stack appts whenever possible. Terry has also had one of the highest sign-up rates of multi focal lenses for over 5 years. This attitude has rubbed off on his colleagues. Daniel Stimpson became our new TCLO this year and will happily see walk ins wherever possible, following Terry’s advice and guidance. And lastly, every member of staff is confident in booking appointments for lenses and talking about them during book in, sight test, dispenses and collection.’

Nykole Hill, Contact Lens Champion, Daniel Stimpson, Manager and TCLO, Terry Tam, Store Director

Congratulations to Colchester OO Directors, Kiran Lal and Louise Stanton who are now both IP qualified.

Love2Shop winner Congratulations to Store Supervisor Mason Park from the Bellshill store for winning £100 Love2Shop vouchers in the recent Antibacterial Dry Eye Compress competition as part of its launch. To win you had to send in your best customer conversation in terms of how you would honestly sell this product to customers, so Mason tried it out and then wrote how he would recommend it to customers and was a winner.

16 Winning Team | May 2022

May 2022 | Winning Team 17

Smiles

Winner 2: Swaledale – Team

The team at Swaledale surprised one of their customers, Vivienne, who travelled 35 miles from Durham to Richmond for her eye test on her 90th birthday. She was also going out for lunch with her daughter. Chloe, who is currently studying her Cert 4 clocked the date and informed the management team who then went and bought flowers for the lady. Vivienne was very thankful for the experience she had instore and left some lovely feedback, ‘All of the staff were marvellous, it was my 90th birthday and they treated me like a Queen and gave me flowers too. You should be proud of your staff at Richmond North Yorkshire. This is the 2nd time they have sorted my specs out to my satisfaction. Thank you.’

Maze Smiles prize draw winner

Any store team member who is mentioned by name in any one of the four Maze surveys (glasses/eye test, contact lenses, audiology and EOS) is in with a chance to win a £500 voucher reward.

L to R: Kimberley Bewick, Retail Director, customer Vivienne, Chloe Reid, Optical Assistant

Congratulations to Edel Courtney from the Dundalk store who is March’s winner!

Winner3: Emersons Green team and the Lab team in Fishponds Emersons Green manager Emma Smith explains how Viktoriia, who lost her glasses in an overcrowded Ukranian bunker before escaping the war, needed glasses, with a minus 3.00 prescription, as a priority once she arrived in the UK. Viktoriia visited the Emerson’s Green store for a sight test but because the store is lab less, the lead time was approximately 1 week. Emma says, ‘Under the circumstances we couldn’t allow Viktoriia to wait that length of time, so I spoke to the Lab Manager, James in our sister store Fishponds who have a lab and sets of stock lenses. They had two sets of glasses made and delivered within two hours of Viktoriia having her sight test and choosing some frames.’ Viktoriia was surprised and delighted. Emma explains, ‘We all managed to make this happen and free of charge. Viktoriia kindly bought the team some chocolates to show her gratitude.’

Thank you for sending in your amazing stories of service. April’s four Winning Team Smiles awards, receiving €/£250 vouchers or store management rebate, goes to: Winning Team Smiles awards

Winner 1: Huyton - Team

A customer writes in praising the care and reassurance given by the team in Huyton: ‘I’m just emailing to let you know how fantastic your team at Huyton are - all of them were lovely from the moment I walked in, to booking me in, testing me, discussing my results and getting me sorted with my first ever 2 pairs of glasses. I’m 32 and have needed glasses for years. I’ve never had the confidence to actually buy them as I had such issues with my body image from a young age that I truly felt like my face wasn’t able to carry off wearing glasses. I cried about it, and it only added to how much I hated my body back then. So instead, I chose to walk around with slightly double vision and eye strain and was resigned to it. I went this time because I’ve come a long way in my relationship with myself and my body and I felt I could handle it. However, I was still nervous. When I went into this store, they were so warm, friendly and understanding. They listened to me, treated me like a human being and I felt heard by them. They were honest, funny and really made an experience that could have been as awful as my last one very enjoyable in the end. I felt like a completely normal person if that makes sense - they reassued me so much and could relate to me with their own glasses buying stories. I found my glasses (which turned out to be sunglasses in the end that they could adapt, who knew?!) and I’m so excited to pick them up and not only see properly for the first time in a long, long time but also feel pretty wearing them. Your team at Huyton are a team to be proud of, please let them know that they really made a difference in my life that day and it’s one that will stay with me forever more as I enjoy my glasses and seeing properly!’

Viktoriia and Emma Smith

Winner 4: Wexford – Team

A customer writes in praising the care and welcome given by Wexford : ‘You legends! Thank you. Today Specsavers without a moment’s hesitation, offered Ali (name changed for privacy) a free eye test and any pair of frames up to €69. They made her feel welcome and cared for. You are so kind. Ali left her glasses and contacts behind when she ran from her home in Chernihiv, Ukraine just over a week ago. There was a tank parked outside her front door, and a tank firefight in the street outside her house, and when the building got shelled, she thought ‘enough is enough’ and ran. She’s 22 years’ old and alone in Ireland but feels welcomed into Wexford and is starting the long process, with your help, of rebuilding her life. Thank you.’

18 Winning Team | May 2022

May 2022 | Winning Team 19

Smiles badges galore

East Kilbride hat-trick

Rohey Bah received a smiles badge for her fantastic customer service retaining a customer who was going to leave Specsavers and go elsewhere. The customer hadn’t been happy with the quality of her glasses but decided to give the Nottingham store a try. The customer said, ‘The big difference was that they listened to my concerns and understood that the track record was not great. Then staff member Rohey helped me pick out a pair. Right from the start, her bubbly attitude and friendliness put us at ease and turned the whole situation around. She was very helpful in picking out the right frames, listening to what had gone wrong before, i.e.no rimless but minimalistic design. Even on collection day Rohey popped by the fitting desk to check everything was okay. Rohey should be called out for her excellent service and for helping to turn around a dissatisfied Specsavers customer.’

Supervisor Sharon Maley and Hearcare Assistant Mhairi Mcluskey received badges for coming together as one team to make a customer’s day.

Supervisor Angela Shaw received a smiles badge after receiving a thank you card from a customer who said she went above and beyond in her service.

Optical Assistant Chihiro Eleftheriadis received a smiles badge and chocolates for the fantastic Maze feedback.

Excellent team spirit A customer commends the amazing service of Sophie, Ellie and Samantha at the Ripley store via Maze leading to the handing out of gold badges. ‘Samantha did my fitting…Ellie did the preliminary tests, then Sophie looked after me while choosing frames and had the sizes checked to ensure they were right for me before ordering. As well as that, we had a conversation about various health issues which affect me, and Sophie showed a genuine interest in my general wellbeing. She was also extremely cheerful with a lovely smile!’

A customer who visited the Liverpool city centre branch praised Optometrist Pav on his amazing service leading to a smiles badge. ‘He was the friendliest, warmest and most informative optician I’ve ever met. I’ve worn glasses since the age of 8 and so, as can be expected I have met many opticians. I paid the additional fee to have the eye health scan. Pav went through it in such detail, with such care and consideration to explain everything. He went above and beyond to give advice about the best type of frame for my prescription and also gave me advice regarding sunglasses. I was honestly so overwhelmed with how professional, informative and friendly he was. I told my partner when I left the store and was so overwhelmed, I actually got a bit emotional. Pav spoke to me as a human not just a patient and he really recognised the importance and value of explaining my prescription to me in real terms.’

Standing proud

Alan Croft part of the lab team in Blackburn received a smiles badge. He managed to get a pair of glasses ready for a customer who was going on holiday. The customer was very happy and grateful to Alan.

Sharon Graham, one of the winners of December’s Winning Team smiles awards, stands proudly with her certificate and vouchers in the Inverness store.

20 Winning Team | May 2022

May 2022 | Winning Team 21

Cheers for the years

Sarah Stick from the Bedminster store celebrated her 20- year anniversary. Optical Partner Katherine Church says, ‘Sarah has become an amazing multi-site manager, much loved by her team and customers.’

Hollie Davidson from the Cupar store reached her 15-year milestone. Pictured is Hollie when she started 15 years ago, with her then colleagues from Highlands and Islands. Fast forward to now with her Director Robert Adie receiving her gifts.

Ashbourne celebrated their 4th anniversary by inviting customers and members of the local community to join them to honour the milestone. There was a great atmosphere as birthday cake was served and the team gathered with customers to reminisce over a cup of tea.

Senior Administrative Assistant Nicki Parvin from the Eastleigh store celebrated 20 years of service receiving her pin, a bottle of champagne and flowers by Regional Relationship Managers Chris Berry and Pete Wearn.

RRM Leanne Rogers congratulates and thanks Rebecca, Katie and Sasha for all their hard work and support and in achieving their five and ten-year service awards, ‘Three fabulous colleagues who make Bristol City Centre store a pleasure to visit, and always make their RRM smile’.

Jenny Hardern, Store Manager, and Lesley Kendall, Store Supervisor, celebrated their joint 20th work anniversary in Crewe. They were presented with a bonus, champagne and framed certificates to mark their long-standing service.

22 Winning Team | May 2022

May 2022 | Winning Team 23

Waterford - The new business brings a new HJVP, Dagmar Muur. Dagmar has spent the past few years employed as an HAD in Wexford HC and is now pleased to be launching a business of their own. Derry Crescent Link - Congratulations to Stacey Elliott, Audiology Partner in Development. Once Stacey has completed the partnership training programme, she will become full Audiology Partner at Crescent Link. New Audiology Hubs opened in:

Stacey Elliott

Opportunity to grow

Windsor store and Partners Seema Patel and Rupal Patel celebrated their 10-year anniversary.

Manchester 2 Home Visits celebrated a 5 year-long service award for administrator Kerry Joynson. Flowers, gift card and certificate was awarded by partners Zetun Arif and Charlotte McGimpsey

Optometrist Jameela Waghat from the Blackburn store celebrated 15 years long service.

The Accrington store has relocated increasing its size from 2776sq. ft to 6540sq. ft allowing the store to increase from five to eight test rooms and a dedicated audiology room. It also marks the store’s 30-year anniversary. The opening was attended by the Mayor of Hyndburn, Councillor Mrs Kathleen Pratt and Sara Britcliffe MP for Hyndburn.

The relocated Clapham store has opened with six optical test rooms, one dual room and an eye refract room, separate diagnostics areas, double contact lens teach area and seven dispense points. The increased size of the unit has also allowed for a much

The Omagh store has opened its relocated store on the Showgrounds Retail Park. The new store is all at ground floor level and boasts a large retail and collections area, five optical test rooms and a dedicated Hearcare room along with three diagnostic bays. The store also has a lab, call centre, offices and a large colleague area.

larger customer waiting area and improved staff facilities.

Widnes undergoes a refurb

The Clondalkin store marked 9 years since its opening in the Mill Shopping Centre.

Bingham store marked their 5th anniversary hosting a celebratory event, including face painters, stilt walkers and birthday cupcakes.

Widnes has just undergone a store refurbishment expanding from three to four test rooms with a dedicated sound booth incorporated into one of the rooms, which will see the team of trained audiologists increase testing provision from three to four days a week. Director Mark Levi said, ‘The completion of the refit marks a proud milestone for our team and has only been made possible by the support of the Widnes community over the years.’

Hemel Hempstead celebrates the town’s 75th birthday Hemel Hempstead created a poster to mark the town’s 75th birthday as well as serving the local community for 26 years.

24 Winning Team | May 2022

May 2022 | Winning Team 25

New beginnings

L to R: Aseema Misra, Anas Injarie, Karen Hansed, Councillor Foulger, Dame Mary Perkins, Nuwan Niyadurupola, Narman Puvanachandra and David Spokes

L to R: Anant Sharma, Michelle Mulvaney, Ian Reid, Lens Supplier, Dame Mary Perkins, Mark Hillier, Lens Supplier, Bimal Kumar

Newmedica has opened a new clinic in Northampton. The team are led by Operational Director, Michelle Mulvaney, along with her clinical Directors Anant Sharma, Bimal Kumar, Muneer Otri and Julian Robins.

Newmedica also opened a clinic in Norwich . The team are led by Operational Partner Karen Hansed and Consultant Ophthalmologists and Partners Aseema Misra, Anas Injarie, Nuwan Niyadurupola, Narman Puvanachandra and David Spokes.

Crayford joined the Sainsbury’s portfolio. Offering three rooms for Optics, Audiology and DVLA. Congratulations to Partners, Faheem Ayub, Ian Hyland and Stephen Pratt.

Northampton Weedon Road opened as the 74th store in the Sainsburys portfolio and marks the 950th new store opening! Congratulations to Partners, Mukesh Patel, Jude Edwards and Bianca Bogdan.

A new Domicilliary business will be opening soon in the Maidstone area. It will be the first new Domiciliary business in over 2 years and marks the commencement of an exciting growth plan over the next 4 years to open more businesses, offering our services to more customers at home and in care.

New store Thorne located in the heart of the town centre opened its doors. The store is linked to the existing store in Armthorpe. Congratulations to Partners, Zoe Lancaster, Jennifer Long and Oliver Sykes.

Cannock Voyager became the 76th store in the Sainsbury’s portfolio. Congratulations to Partners, Claire Blandford and Jaspreet Dhaliwal.

A new store in Kingston Park, Newcastle upon Tyne opened with 8 test rooms including one dedicated Audiology room. Congratulations to Partners, Dermot Thompson, Jill Thompson and Ross McLachlan.

Happy retirement On 5 February the team at Ankerside Tamworth said goodbye to Dispensing Optician, Helen Tipping. Helen qualified in 1989 and joined Specsavers at the Lichfield branch in 1999. In 2019 she moved to the Ankerside store and also dispensed at the Ventura store on Sundays. Helen will be missed at both stores, but they all wish her a long and happy retirement.

New store Gorey in County Wexford opened within the Gorey Shopping Centre. There are four test rooms including one dual room to provide audiology services. Congratulations to Cliona McPartlan and John McPartlan.

New store Finglas opened in the centre of Finglas village in Ireland. There are three test rooms including one dual room to provide audiology services. Congratulations to Kerril Hickey, Darren Connolley and Fiona O’Donnell.

New store Kidlington , Oxfordshire opened its doors. Congratulations to Partners, Satnam Johal, Sarah Marshall, Mahin Ali, Suresh Mahandru and the team. Councillor David Robey, the chair of Kidlington Parish Council, cut the ribbon.

26 Winning Team | May 2022

May 2022 | Winning Team 27

Sensational service Birthday gift

High praise indeed A high-ranking government official, Jane Miller OBE, sings the praises of Hemel Hempstead for their long-distance service. Working as British High Commissioner for Guyana, she explains that whilst living in Tanzania she broke her glasses but due to Covid restrictions was unable to travel back to the UK. ‘I therefore called Hemel Hempstead store where I have been receiving my glasses for some years – and was just overwhelmed with the support I received. They helped me choose frames, inserted the prescription from my previous visit, and then got the glasses to me overseas. I cannot say how grateful I was. I am dependant on my glasses for work and play – and the personal support I received from Specsavers was just amazing.’

Berkshire 1 Home Visits OA Ray Dosanjh shares, ‘I’m so pleased we made one of our customers so happy. Tomorrow is his birthday and he’s alone because his wife recently passed. He’s recently been in hospital and was considering cancelling today. We had a chat and he decided to go ahead. He was feeling pretty down about being unwell. So, I rang Director Chris Gigg to ask for a small £25 fee discount. The customer was absolutely over the moon about it. He said it was the best morning he’s had in a while, and we’ve made his birthday. Then he asked me to send him a selfie of us to send to his family so he can tell them how awesome we are’. Ray went on then to create a birthday card for the customer containing their selfie picture.

Jane Miller OBE

Special delivery Dispensing Optician Lillie Griffin and Trainee Dispensing Optician Olive Slatford in the Melksham store visited a young boy whose glasses were broken beyond repair and due to illness was unable to leave his home. The girls arranged with his mum to visit with a selection of glasses so replacements could be provided. spectacles had been destroyed. Sarah explains, ‘The customer’s wife who was very distressed came into the store for help. Melanie Scott quickly arranged a replacement pair to be glazed within the hour at no charge. Melanie has lived in the UK for many years, she is originally from the Netherlands. By coincidence the patient’s wife was also originally from the Netherlands. Mel was able to comfort the lady and converse with her in Dutch. She said she found this particularly comforting as she doesn’t often get a chance to speak Dutch. The patient returned to store recently with chocolates for Mel. He is thankfully making a good recovery.’ Exceptional care Chippenham Manager Sarah Passafaro shares how a customer was involved in a serious car accident. His -4.00

Every minute counts

Practice Manager Hannah Wilcox sings the praises of Anita Waring, Optical Assistant for Gwent Home Visits . ‘We are constantly blown away by her amazing customer care and her total devotion to her patients. Recently Anita was out testing with one of our director optometrists when the patient began to feel unwell with chest pains. Anita’s previous career as a nurse gave her the instinct to step up in that moment. She called an ambulance straight away, remained calm and looked after the patient throughout. When the paramedics insisted the patient went to the GP, she knew exactly what to say to get them to understand how serious it was and made sure an ambulance was sent.’ Hannah shares another example, ‘Anita visited a patient for a delivery of glasses. The patient was struggling with mobility herself but was also a full-time carer for her disabled husband. When Anita arrived, she could see the patient was struggling to feed her husband his lunch, so again Anita’s nursing instincts took over and she helped to feed her husband and then cleared up for them. Whenever Anita finds she has a few spare minutes she will always do what she can to make someone’s day and put a smile on their face - and this is why we love having her as part of our team!’

Hear this Google feedback A customer has posted feedback on Google for the excellent service received at Nantwich saying, ‘I had to wait a month for my hearing aid appointment but what a special place this is. My ears were tested, and hearing aids set up in just a one-hour consultation. With at least seven years’ experience in this field my charming lady consultant [HAD Gifty Babu] made me a happy bunny. Once more I am alert to the wonderful music of this world.’ Calming effect Retail Supervisor Louise Brown in Lower Earley went above and beyond to calm a distraught customer who had received a parking fine at the store through no fault of her own. Louise dealt with the issue professionally and stopped the issue from escalating beyond her control whilst keeping a smile on the customer’s face.

A customer praises Hemel Hempstead Audiologist Geeta Patel for taking the time and effort to provide the correct moulds. ‘I would like to say the service and patience that I received in my hearing test and the effort Geeta put in to finally getting the right moulds spot on was second to none. The fact I am 92 years and gave her problems she hadn’t faced before, after all these months, I wanted to let you know how pleased I am with them.’ Time and effort

28 Winning Team | May 2022

May 2022 | Winning Team 29

Maisie Cookson in the Denbigh store went above and beyond for a patient who got hit by a car on the way to the store for her sight test. The patients husband said Maisie couldn’t have done more for his wife and helped relax and reassure them both. Maisie rang the hospital but there would have been a 3 hour wait for an ambulance, so the husband decided to drive her there himself as his nerves had settled. Maisie got the lady a glass of water and kept them both in the store until they were ready to leave. Offering reassurance

Rachel Symonds in Norwich – St Stephens St. received flowers for the excellent service she provided to an anxious customer through their sight test and frame selection.

A customer was so impressed by the service Georgie had given him at the Weston-Super-Mare store that he returned with a bunch of flowers for her

Thank you from customers

Leah Davies from the Weston-Super-Mare store, who is in the last few weeks of her pregnancy, received a hand knitted coat, hat and booties from a customer who was so impressed with the service she received at a recent dispense.

A customer who was referred to hospital and who also had their spectacles repaired at the Epsom store was so pleased with the service that they bought the whole team Subway sandwiches.

Michelle Ellis in Norwich - St Stephens St. received a plant and card from a customer who was having difficulty in adapting to her new varifocals. Michelle worked through her concerns to ensure the customer was happy with her glasses.

Lorna Golding in Norwich - St Stephens St. received a thank you letter after reassuring a customer and helping her through her Cataract surgery, alongside optometrist Emma Evans.

Kelly in Blackburn received a lovely card from a very happy Hearcare patient, who had been struggling with her hearing. She appreciated being dealt with so quickly and efficiently.

Asvi Ranjan, DO (who is also now training to be a Contact Lens Optician) at the Milton Keynes store was presented with a wonderful gift from a patient after looking after them so well. .

30 Winning Team | May 2022

May 2022 | Winning Team 31

Making a difference

Bradford Broadway Optometrist Craig Walker explains how a customer attended the store for an overdue eye test, complaining of struggling with driving vision for 2 years, but otherwise had no symptoms. The fundal examination and OCT were normal however, inner ocular pressure (IOP) was raised in comparison to last time, so a visual fields examination was carried out with the expectation of finding a slight glaucomatous loss if anything. However, this was not the case and what was revealed was a homonymous quadrantanopic visual field loss, which is suggestive of a cardiovascular incident rather than glaucoma. This led Craig to urgently refer the customer to the hospital. The patient later returned to the store with a card and chocolates to thank Craig and informed him that he’d had a bleed on the brain and that the surgeon had to perform an operation. The customer is now in the care of his GP and will continue to visit Specsavers for routine check-ups. The customer came in again recently to thank Craig for what he had done which ultimately saved his life. Life changing discovery

Routine eye test identifies melanoma

Keith from Rojales booked a routine eye test at Specsavers Ópticas in Guardamar where optician Lisa James noticed an anomaly on the retinal photograph. Upon completing further tests, she could see what she suspected was a large choroidal melanoma. Knowing the urgency of getting this checked by a specialist, she wrote a referral letter to the doctor with an urgent request to refer to an eye specialist. The specialist diagnosed a melanoma and began immediate cancer treatment to the eye, saving Keith’s sight and protecting him against serious health complications. Keith says, ‘It’s frightening to think that I nearly missed my two-yearly eye check-up - what a mistake that would have been! Missing that eye health check could have cost me my sight and caused subsequent serious illness.’

Craig Walker and customer

Hearing aids transformed my life Having struggled with hearing loss since her late teens, mum of two, Abbie, now has a new lease of life thanks to audiologist Aysha at the Newport store.

Lisa James and Keith

Abbie, who lives in Telford and is now 40, first went to see her GP when she was 19 after noticing she wasn’t hearing as well as she used to. The results of a hearing test revealed that while her hearing was below average for someone of her age, it wasn’t enough to do anything about. Abbie explains, ‘When I was 32 and pregnant with my second child, I was at a midwife appointment, and she was sat facing away from me looking at a computer screen, asking me questions and I really couldn’t hear her. I went back to my GP surgery, where they did another hearing test and as it had been deteriorating further over time, the loss was now enough for her to refer me to hospital. Following further tests, I was diagnosed with hereditary hearing loss and given hearing aids.’

Helped me to stay calm

Customer Natalie attended Atherstone , Northants, for a routine eye examination presenting with no symptoms, however upon examination Optometrist India Vernon- Clarke identified that Natalie had a retinal detachment that required urgent, sight saving treatment. Upon referral, Natalie underwent emergency surgery to repair the retina, preventing further loss of vision. Natalie returned to store to thank India with a bunch of flowers. Natalie also fed back on Maze saying she was most pleased with. ‘The space I was given to digest what had been discovered in the test. And the calmness they had, helped me to stay calm too.’

Natalie and India Vernon-Clarke

‘I persevered for a few months, but as well as them not making any difference to my hearing, they were uncomfortable and bulky, so I gave up. Again, I resigned myself to just having to live with the problem, even though it was getting worse.’ When the pandemic hit, masks made everything worse for Abbie and she became more fearful and anxious about even just going to the supermarket. ‘Then, in the summer of 2021, my mum mentioned that Specsavers did hearing aids.’ Despite Abbie’s reservations, when Aysha fitted the hearing aids at the Newport store, her world was transformed. ‘It sounds really cheesy, but it was an absolute revelation to me! I actually became quite emotional as it made me realise what I’d been missing out on for so long; the difference was immediately noticeable. I’m now so much more confident and don’t mind telling people that I have hearing loss now. I’ve even gone back to work which I could never have even contemplated doing before. It’s given me a new lease of life.’

Life-saving visit At the beginning of April, Charlotte visited the Keighley store where optometrist Eleanor Greenwood carried out an eye test and noticed swollen discs, so referred her to hospital immediately. Charlotte then had to undergo surgery to remove a tumour. Charlotte returned to the store at the end of April to thank everyone for their support and for referring her to hospital where she received life-saving surgery. Her smile infected the whole team in Keighley.

32 Winning Team | May 2022

May 2022 | Winning Team 33

Making a difference through Home Visits

Remote emergency eye care helped prevent sight loss At the beginning of March 2022, the Hoddesdon store received a call from a customer complaining of problems with their left eye. Apprentice, Dora Sztybrych used the MECS (Minor Eye Conditions Service) triage form and captured all of the customer’s symptoms which included swollen eye lid, redness and headaches for several days and a lump near their left ear. Based on these symptoms, resident optometrist, Jo Franco, offered advice to the patient over the phone to go directly to the A&E department. The next day, Jo called the patient to check on their condition and they were very thankful for the advice as the emergency appointment discovered they had shingles in the eye. The patient later came into store to show their gratitude for the advice by offering flowers to the team, and Jo Franco was later awarded with a Smiles badge.

Sanveer Benning, a domiciliary partner based in Southeast England, shares what attracted him to the role and why he enjoys it. After working in optometry for almost eight years – most of that time in store – I was ready for a new challenge. Something with more variety. I’d worked in domiciliary before, from my time as a locum. It was refreshing to be out and about, meeting different people in different places. To be honest, I found it more interesting than sitting in a test room all day. I also wanted to further my career. After speaking to a few people, I decided that becoming a partner should be my next step. A personalised journey After passing an initial interview, I joined the pathway development programme, which is designed to help you run a successful business. I learnt about the joint venture partnership model and took courses to fill in gaps in my knowledge. These covered a range of topics including accounts, health and safety, legal policies and managing colleagues. At the end of the programme, I passed an assessment before becoming a partner last summer. It was a great experience, and I was supported at every stage. But it wasn’t easy – I had to put the work in and stay focused. There’s something special about the job Almost a year later and I’m loving it. It’s very rewarding helping people who can’t easily leave their home to get optical care. They’re so grateful that we’re able to come to them. Some haven’t had an eye test for many years, while for others it’s their first time.

Jenny’s story

Abhay’s story

Providing them with glasses, so they can do seemingly basic things, like reading a book or watching TV, makes a big difference to their lives. It’s really heart-warming seeing their reaction when they’re able to do this. Don’t believe everything you hear… Before working in domiciliary, I’d been told a lot of negative things about it, such as the conditions of people’s homes and the lack of equipment. While some places I visit aren’t the cleanest, most are perfectly fine as many get support from family and carers. It’s the same with care homes, where they must follow strict health and safety standards to operate. With equipment, you have all the essential tools you would’ve been taught to use at university. Plus, things are always evolving. With a couple of trials taking place this year, who knows what will be available in the future. I don’t think it’ll be long before there isn’t much difference between testing in store and in domiciliary. …experience it for yourself The best way to understand domiciliary is to go on a shadow day. That’s what I did, and I haven’t looked back. I’d suggest speaking to your regional retail manager (RRM) to find out how you can arrange one. To learn more about domiciliary Visit our careers site. Or if you’re interested in becoming a partner, email Jerry Dunn for a confidential chat. (LINKS DONT WORK)

Even though Jenny had no changes to her sight, her routine eye test in Bournemouth revealed something unexpected.

Abhay’s staycation plans turned into a hospital trip and emergency surgery after a visit to the Aylesbury store.

Neurodiversity Network

The Neurodiversity Network is intended as a safe, supportive educational space where individual diversity is celebrated in all aspects of life. The network is available across all support offices and stores. The group aim is to come together and celebrate all things neuro diverse, remove barriers, remove stigma, work to increase awareness and understanding. The space is absolutely inclusive, and participants do not need to have any links to neurodiversity, just a desire to celebrate and support their colleagues, friends, family, and communities, Keep your eyes open for the launch of Specsavers newest colleague network which is coming up in June.

and maybe learn some interesting things along the way. If you want to register your interest or ask any questions, please do email Neuro diversity at [email protected]

34 Winning Team | May 2022

May 2022 | Winning Team 35