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Minion Mayhem at Scrivens Opticians

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Scrivens Opticians has teamed up with the stars of the Despicable Me 2 film, the mischievous Minions – famous for their goggle specs – to encourage parents to take their children for regular eye tests.

To celebrate the release of the hilarious animated adventure on DVD and Blu-ray (25th November), youngsters who take the Minion approved eye test at their local Scrivens branch will receive a special certificate and, if they need glasses, can choose from a range officially approved by the goggle-wearing characters.

The new campaign has been launched after figures from the Health & Social Care Information Centre* showed eye examination rates among under 15s had fallen to a 10 year low. If unchecked, poor eyesight can affect children’s education as well as their overall development, so the Minions have been enlisted to help raise awareness of the importance of regular check-ups.

Scrivens Opticians optometrist Paul Sidhu said: “We’re very excited to be working with the mischievous little Minions from Despicable Me 2, who are favourites with all the family. We want to create an adventure in store which children will remember and take away with them. Ultimately, we’re encouraging kids and parents alike to have an enjoyable experience that will inspire them to return and have regular eye checks, to help keep their eyes healthy for life.”

The initiative runs until Christmas and to encourage the whole family to look after their eyesight, any parent who brings their child for a Minion approved test will receive 50% off their own standard eye test.

By booking a Minion approved eye test customers can enter a prize draw to win a UK family adventure break** where the kids will train to be secret agents like Gru and Lucy in Despicable Me 2, or a copy of the film on 3D Blu-rayâ„¢.

Scrivens Opticians & Hearing Care was established 75 years ago and remains a family run business today with 146 high street branches nationwide. For more information, visitwww.scrivensopticians.com

ENDS

Issued on behalf of Scrivens Opticians & Hearing Care by
Limegreen Communications
For further information please contact:
Lorna Bishop / lorna@limegreencommunications.com / 07851 314294
Jo Mathers / jo@limegreencommunications.com / 07799 662389

Photo Opportunity: If you would like to arrange a photograph at the branch of a child having his / her eyes checked and receiving a Minion authorised certificate then please contact Lorna or Jo

*Source: Health & Social Care Information Centre
• Only 19% of children under 15 years old have NHS eye examinations, a drop from 23.6% since 2002/3
• Students 16-18, fell from 4.9% to 4.4%
• However, the number of overall sight tests has risen from 9.7m to 12.3m
• 70% of youngsters have dental checks

** Prize package
The prize package is for a family of 4 and includes:
• 2 nights at a 4 star hotel in Cambridge in a family room (room only)
• 1 hour 20 spy school experience (children only), including:
o Train to become a secret agent, just like Gru!
o Hack enemy computers to thwart enemy attacks
o Sneak past laser triggers & through an enemy base
o Disarm fiendish weapons & escape the enemy base without being detected!
• Secret agent adventure day (children only), including:
o Surfing lesson at an indoor wave machine
o 20 minute high speed racing on a race car simulator
o 20 minute indoor rock climbing session, with expert instruction & safety equipment
• £200 towards food, drinks, tips, travel & spending money

Terms & Conditions
• Participants must be between the ages of 5 and 16 years old on date oftravel
• Participants must be 107cm tall for body boarding & 132cm tall for stand up riding.
• Participants must bring swimming costumes & towels in order to participate in surf lessons

Via EPR Network
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Optical Express Optometrist Completes 7th Vision Aid Overseas Project

Optical Express Optometrist Ed Baldwin has successfully completed his seventh Vision Aid Overseas project, a trip to Burkina Faso to distribute eyeglasses and screen patients for cataract surgery.

Baldwin went on his first project with Vision Aid in 2001, working with a team to provide eye tests and eyeglasses in Latvian prisons. Since then, his projects have included such locales as Ethiopia, Moldova, Bulgaria, and Ghana. He has also served as a team leader on more than one occasion. Baldwin’s most recent trip was unique, however, because of the cataract screening element.

“My most recent trip to Burkina Faso was a little different, since we were not only giving out glasses but also trying to find patients who needed cataract surgery,” he said. “We found about a hundred patients that needed intraocular lens treatment, and another team went out a few weeks after us with surgeons. It was great, because normally when you see patients with cataracts you can’t really do anything about it.”

Vision Aid Overseas (VAO) sends teams of volunteer Optometrists and dispensingopticians to developing nations to screen and outfit patients with appropriate spectacles. Nearing its 25th anniversary, VAO has provided 300,000 individuals with spectacles, and conducted 600,000 eye tests.

Baldwin commented, “Volunteering is the most rewarding thing you can do,” Baldwin said. “It’s giving people sight where they would otherwise be blind. In a lot of places there are no provisions for eye care, so if you haven’t got a pair of glasses you can’t work and feed your family.

“When you test eyes back home in the UK, the general public have a huge choice of opticians. In parts of Africa, people will walk from miles around to see you. You’re really making a difference to people’s lives in a short space of time with something as simple as a pair of spectacles.”

Baldwin has worked for Optical Express since 2001, and is currently based in Cardiff, providing both laser eye surgery and intraocular lens treatment consultations to prospective patients.

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Optical Express joined by Padraig Harrington

Optical Express, Europe’s Number One laser eye surgery specialists, has been joined by one of the world’s greatest golfers, Padraig Harrington as a Brand Ambassador.

The back-to-back British Open Champion (2007,2008) and US PGA Champion (2008) is fronting a television advertising campaign for Optical Express on ITV, Sky Sports and other digital channels.

Speaking after filming the commercial Padraig said, “I’m delighted to endorse the great work carried-out by Optical Express. It’s no secret that laser vision correction has made a massive difference to my life and career. For years I played with poor eyesight and it affected me and my game. Without the simple procedure, which was carried-out in London and Dublin, I would not be able to compete at the highest level. It’s certainly helped me and it could assist others in many aspects of their lives. My only regret is that I wish I’d done it sooner. I want to be treated by the best and that’s Optical Express.”

Chairman and CEO of Optical Express, David Moulsdale joined Padraig at the TV studio and commented, “We are extremely proud to be working with Padraig Harrington. He is the most talented and successful golfer to come out of Europe in many years. And his back-to-back victories at The Open catapulted him towards the top of the game. Add to that his outstanding win at the US PGA Championship and it confirmed his status as one of the greats of the game today.

At Optical Express, we are clinically and technically superior to all our competitors in the refractive industry and it’s fitting that we work with the best and that is Padraig Harrington. He is the perfect Ambassador for laser eye surgery at Optical Express where we have successfully carried-out more than 700,000 procedures. We are delighted that he considers the surgery to have been so impactful on his career and welcome Padraig as our Brand Ambassador”.

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Optical Express Reports Successful Launch Of Ambassador Programme

The programme, available to all past laser and intraocular lens treatment patients of Optical Express, enables referrers to choose how they would like their referral reward – valued at hundreds of pounds – to be distributed. They can claim the reward themselves, give their friend or relative the full discount, or split the reward.

Optical Express Reports Successful Launch Of Ambassador Programme

After a trial run at the end of 2009, the Ambassador Referral Programme was officially launched in early 2010. Since then, over a thousand valued patients have taken advantage of the unique opportunity offered by the opticians.

“We’re extremely excited about how the programme has gone so far,” said David Carson, head of the Ambassador programme. “Everyone has really embraced the opportunity, and we’re seeing promising numbers and getting great feedback.”

All three options surrounding the allocation of the reward have been very popular, according to Carson.

“The fact that we’re seeing such a distribution of choices in terms of the reward really reaffirms to us that our patients appreciate the choice we’ve provided them with,” he said. “If one [option] had been overwhelmingly popular, we might have considered reworking the programme, but as it stands, the numbers indicate that our referrers like having all three options.”

Despite the relatively limited time frame in which the Ambassador Referral Programme has been running, patients have been extremely enthusiastic, Carson said.

“We’ve seen numerous patients referring three, four, even six of their friends and colleagues in the short time since we launched the programme,” he said. “Every day we’re getting calls from patients who have just been treated, anxious to receive their pack in the mail and start referring. The momentum that is building right now surrounding Ambassador is just phenomenal.”

Optical Express offers free laser eye surgery consultations at over 100 locations across the UK and Europe.

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Optical Express Launches Ambassador Referral Programme

Optical Express launches new Ambassador Referral Programme. Open to both laser eye surgery and intraocular lens treatment patients, the flexible programme enables the referrer to choose how the reward – valued at hundreds of pounds per referral – is distributed.

Optical Express Launches Ambassador Referral Programme

David Carson, the head of the programme, spoke with enthusiasm about the new Ambassador Referral initiative.

“The programme is a huge departure from any scheme we’ve done before, with larger rewards and more flexibility,” he said. “We really believe that our patients are our best ambassadors, and we designed this so that we can provide them with a reward that is really substantial, and that can really make a difference in their lives. The amount that they can earn is endless.”

With the new programme, the person referring is given three options – they can receive the full reward, their friend or relative can receive the full amount off the cost of laser eye treatment or intraocular lens implant treatment, or the reward can be split evenly between the patient and referrer.

If the referrer has opted to receive all or part of the reward, they are issued a cheque within 14 days of their friend or relative undergoing surgery. Thus, the referrer has the potential to not only earn an unlimited amount of money, but also to receive their rewards almost immediately.

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Optical Express Has Performed LASIK Surgery On Olympic Champion Rower Pete Reed

Optical Express, the number one provider of laser eye surgery in the world, has revealed it has performed LASIK surgery on Olympic champion rower Pete Reed, as he looks to improve his chances of competing at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Surgeon Rodney Blumenfield performed the LASIK surgery using Wavefront and Intralase technologies. Mr Blumenfield is an experienced ophthalmologist who has performed more than 22,000 procedures.

Reed expressed enthusiasm about the results of his procedure. The Olympic champion said: “I am absolutely delighted with my new and perfect vision from Optical Express. It’s not just the brand new feeling of being able to see better than 20/20, but the convenience of not having to use contacts or glasses for my training and racing.”

Beyond mere results, however, Reed was impressed with the quality of care and customer service offered by Optical Express, as well as, “the swift procedure, the short recovery time and the aftercare. In fact, every step from booking to clarity of vision has been a breeze.”

As an athlete who relies on his sight for his performance, Reed is eager to encourage others not to hesitate in moving forward with laser eye surgery. He said: “I wish I’d had it done sooner. Don’t be worried – just go for it.”

About Optical Express
The Optical Express Group was founded in 1991 and is now a global leader of selected healthcare services, specialising in opticians services.

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