Giving the gift of sight

Lions clubs of Luton and Dunstable are appealing to people not to throw their glasses away.

Spokesman Geoff Lambert said: “We collect around 10,000 pairs a year from local opticians and recycle them overseas to people whose sight is deteriorating.”

The charity organises cataract operations in deprived countries but many patients still need help seeing.

More than 600,000 pairs of glasses from all over the UK are collected, graded and sorted by volunteers at a centre in Chichester and then shipped for distribution by Lions clubs abroad.

Geoff said: “Please return your glasses to local opticians, where we will collect them.

“They will be used to help someone somewhere see better.”