Our
Projects
Get to Know Us
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Community Vision Screening Events at local fairs, community venues and most importantly schools
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School Vision Screening Programmes helping identify eyesight problems early in children
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Spectacle Recycling Programmes, collecting used sunglasses which are sorted and redistributed internationally to people in need
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Supporting Visually Impaired Residents, including funding specialist equipment to screen individuals who are less able from their own homes
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Promoting Eye Health Awareness through the Lions Eye Health Programme, which raises awareness of conditions such as glaucoma and diabetic eye disease
Vision screening
Lions are internationally recognised for their commitment to protecting sight and preventing avoidable blindness. In District 105SW, clubs across Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, and Dorset actively support a range of projects designed to improve eye health and assist those living with visual impairment. Lions volunteers organise community vision screening events, raise funds for eye care charities, and work with national initiatives such as the Lions Eye Health Programme to raise awareness of conditions like glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. Clubs also collect and recycle unwanted spectacles, helping provide vision care to people in developing countries while promoting sustainability. Through programmes such as Lions ChildSight UK, trained volunteers use specialist vision screening equipment to identify potential eyesight problems in children at an early stage, ensuring they can be referred for professional eye care if needed. These efforts make a real difference in communities throughout District 105SW, helping people maintain independence, improve quality of life, and access the support they need.
Lions across the district are also investing in the future of sight care by using specialist vision screening equipment that allows quick, non-invasive testing. District 105SW currently operates 10 vision screening machines, enabling Lions volunteers to support schools, community events and health awareness campaigns throughout the region. These portable machines help identify potential vision issues quickly and safely, allowing individuals to be referred to opticians for further assessment when necessary.
6,996
Children Screened
1,030
Children Referenced
151
Schools Screened
15%
Average Referral Rate
Helen Keller
The impact of Helen Keller
Helen Keller was a renowned author, lecturer, and advocate for people who were blind or deaf. Having lost both her sight and hearing as a young child due to illness, she became one of the most influential voices in the world for disability rights, education, and social inclusion.
In 1925, Helen Keller addressed the annual convention of Lions Clubs International in Cedar Point, Ohio. During her speech, she issued a powerful challenge to the organisation, asking Lions to become “Knights of the Blind in the crusade against darkness.”
Her words inspired Lions around the world to make the prevention of blindness and support for people with visual impairment a central mission of the organisation. From that moment forward, sight conservation became one of Lions’ most defining areas of service.
Since that historic speech, Lions clubs globally have worked on countless sight-related initiatives including vision screening programmes, guide dog support, eye health awareness campaigns, and the recycling of used spectacles for people in need. Through the support of the Lions Clubs International Foundation, Lions have also funded major international eye care programmes, surgeries, and research aimed at preventing avoidable blindness.
Today, Lions are widely recognised as one of the leading volunteer organisations working to protect sight worldwide. The work carried out by clubs across District 105SW continues this legacy, helping people in communities throughout South West England maintain healthy vision and access vital support.
