Leckwith opticians to undergo £200,000 renovation

Specsavers Leckwith with undergo a £200,000 renovation later this year, following an investment from partners, Emily Blunt and James Deavall. The pair made the investment to help accommodate the increasing demand for eye tests and audiology clinics in the area. To provide additional space, an extra test room will be added, taking the store from two to three test rooms. The brand-new test room will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology. The store will also see the addition of upgraded displays, providing a more modern look and feel.

Emily Blunt, optical director at the store, says: “We can’t wait for customers to see the new upgrades to the store. The renovation will allow us to continue providing high standards of care for our customers, and thanks to the addition of a new test room, we’ll be able to treat even more customers, helping alleviate pressure on the NHS.”

Plans to celebrate the relaunch will be announced later this year.

Meet Specsavers’ community champions

Cardiff locals Sofia Reeve and Emma Griffiths are passionate about their roles as community champions, organising in-store events such as raffles and bake sales to raise money for local charities and larger fundraising events.

Sofia, who has worked at Specsavers for four years, is the community champion for the Queen Street store, while Emma has worked at the Leckwith store for five years.

Raising over £3,000 for local causes

This year, the community champions, along with the store teams, have continued to find exciting ways to raise vital funds for charitable causes.

Taking to the sky, Kyle James, an audiologist at Specsavers on Queen Street, participated in a sponsored skydive in aid of Alzheimer’s Society. Thanks to generous donations from the local community, he raised an incredible £575 for the charity. Kyle says: “Skydiving was the scariest thing I have ever done, but it was important to me because it allowed me to support the Alzheimer’s Society.”

Continuing with support for Alzheimer’s, four members of the team completed the Trek 26 Brecon Beacons walk. Store partner Amy Naish, managers Sarah Aspinall and Gemma Watkins, and supervisor Kirsty Bews completed the challenging 26 mile walk in the Beacons, raising an amazing £1,700.

Also taking to the great outdoors, community champion Emma Griffiths and assistant manager Izabela Wantowska from the Leckwith store raised £1,055 for breast cancer charity CoppaFeel, by taking part in the CoppaTrek half marathon, which took place in the beautiful hills of the Peak District.

Later this year, the Leckwith team plan to host an in-store fundraiser in aid of Cardiff Dogs Home, who will be joining them at the store.

As we approach the festive season, both stores will support Boomerang, a Cardiff-based charity tackling poverty, social isolation and homelessness, by collecting gifts to help create a magical Christmas for less fortunate children. Specsavers Queen Street and Leckwith, along with the other stores in Cardiff and Penarth, will act as collection points for the charity until Sunday, 15 December, encouraging locals to donate new items that can be packaged and sent out during the Christmas period.

To view upcoming events, take a look at the store’s community boards during your next visit. If you’re a charity or community group that would benefit from support, please speak to the community champions or email jodie.morgan@specsavers.com.

For more information about Specsavers in Queen Street and Leckwith, request an appointment or browse the online store, visit www.specsavers.co.uk/stores. Additionally, to make eye health accessible to all, the store offers a Home Visit service for those unable to leave their homes unaccompanied due to disability or illness.