PUPILS at Gartocharn Primary have been busy focusing on a visionary collection for charity.

The school teamed up with the Specsavers store in Dumbarton who are collecting old and unwanted spectacles for their Vision Aid Overseas appeal.

Children at the Loch Lomond-side school managed to collect 52 pairs of glasses for the project which aims to improve the eye health of people living in the developing world.

The unwanted glasses are recycled and the money raised is used to fund the charity’s work in developing countries. This includes giving people much-needed eye tests and treatment, and training local optometrists. Over the last decade Specsavers have managed to collect more than a quarter of a million pairs of old or damaged specs.

The Specsavers store in Dumbarton has collected almost 2,000 pairs of old glasses and frames and staff there were delighted to hear of the pupils' efforts. So much so that optical assistant Sarah Mackintosh and assistant manager Joleen Fuller from the store popped in to see pupils to thank them for the kind donation.

Robin Mitchell, store director at Specsavers in Dumbarton, said: "We would like to say a big thank you to the youngsters and to everyone who donated. It’s such a caring gesture and we’re very proud to be linking up with the pupils.

"There must be thousands of spare specs lying around that are no longer of use to their owners. It would be fantastic if we could top the 2,000 mark this year and collect even more specs for this great cause. We are used to having easy access to excellent eyecare on our high streets but most people in Zambia find it very difficult to access even the most basic facilities. It’s important that we do what we can to improve eyecare and eye health in the developing world."

Specsavers has raised more than £800,000 to help the project which was used to fund the construction of a school for optometry in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, and nine vision centres across the country.

Customers can get involved in the appeal by dropping old frames into the collection box in Specsavers Dumbarton, which will then be sent to the charity.

For more information about Vision Aid Overseas, visit www.vao.org.uk