Chester’s Dee 106.3 Breakfast Show Live from Vision Support

On behalf of the Western Cheshire Local Eye Health Group, Charlie & Chester the Cat from Dee 106.3 Breakfast Show came to Vision Support to interview the Group members about the National Eye Health Week and Falls Awareness Week

Miriam Wright, Vision Support CEO, explained that the National Eye Health Week between 13^th-19^th June 2011, is a nation wide campaign, with eye care charities, organisations & health professionals joining together to promote the importance of eye health and the need for regular sight tests for all.

Competitions have run throughout schools in Western Cheshire for the best silly glasses.

• 1.8 million people in the UK are living with sight loss.  Regular eye tests and a simple change of glasses could improve over half of these individuals eye health.
• Regular sight tests can detect early signs of conditions like Glaucoma which can be treated if caught early enough.
• Other health conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure can be detected during a test.

Everybody should have a regular eye test and should be part of everyone’s health care routine, just like going to the dentist.

Helen Thorniley-Jones, the Falls & Fracture Prevention Coordinator and Communications & Engineer Manager, of the Community Care team, at Cheshire & Wirral Partnership NHS, spoke about Falls Awareness Week, between 20^th - 26^th June 2011. 

Again this is a national campaign to raise awareness of the simple interventions that can reduce the risk of falls, such as having regular eye tests and taking part in regular exercise.  Working together with Age UK, the local fire brigade, Western Cheshire Social Services & Vision Support, the Cheshire & Wirral Partnership NHS are campaigning with “silly glasses” to promote regular eye tests. 

The Vision Support Mobile Information Unit will also take part in the promotion of regular eye sight tests and will be positioned between 10am – 3pm at the ASDA car park, Ellesmere Port on 14^th and 22^nd June, and at the Town Hall, Chester on 15^th and 23^rd June.

*The North Wales Mobile Information Unit and Resource Centres are also raising awareness of the importance of regular eye sight tests

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