First free eye care clinic for homeless people opens in Edinburgh

Scotland’s first free eye care clinic for homeless people has opened in Edinburgh.

The clinic, run by eye health charity Vision Care for Homeless People (VCHP), opened this week and will operate from the new Wellness Floor at the Skylight on Canongate.

The opening marks the tenth clinic for the charity across the UK with each one being staffed and run by volunteers.

The Wellness Floor has been funded by Specsavers and, alongside the bespoke eye clinic, includes additional rooms which will enable Crisis to broaden the health services it provides to members.

The Edinburgh Crisis Skylight opened its doors last year but was unable to fund these additional facilities until Specsavers stepped in to finance the new health and wellness suites.

VCHP founder and chair of trustees Elaine Styles, spoke on behalf of her team adding she was “thrilled” to open the charity’s tenth clinic.

“It’s a true testament to what our long-term partnership with Crisis and Specsavers is achieving.”

Mark Kennedy, director of the Crisis Skylight in Edinburgh, says: ‘’Crisis has been running frontline services for people experiencing homelessness in Scotland for more than a decade but this new clinic will allow us to do even more for the people we work with.

 ”We’re incredibly grateful to Specsavers and VCHP for their support.”

He added: “Having the clinic available for our members is invaluable in helping people to improve their eye health and, ultimately, to help them on their journey out of homelessness.”

Specsavers Scottish divisional chair, Jenny Stephenson, said they were “delighted” to help open the VCHP clinic.

“Our founding purpose is to improve eye care for all, but for those experiencing homelessness it can sometimes be difficult to get access to the eye health care they need.

“The opening of the Wellness Floor celebrates an impactful collaboration with Crisis and VCHP with the ultimate ambition of making care equitable and accessible for all, regardless of their circumstances.”