STAFF at a Shirley opticians swapped their uniforms for brightly coloured, clashing clothing to make a noise for their chosen charity Alzheimer’s Society.
The colleagues at Scrivens Opticians & Hearing Care on Union Road, made the loud statement as part of World Alzheimer’s Day on Tuesday, September 21, and will donate £1 from every hearing test up to September 26 to the Alzheimer’s Society.
Branch manager Parveen Joyce and sales assistants Jeanette Hipkiss and Mark Bentley all know what it’s like to have close family members suffer from dementia, including Alzheimer’s and were keen to do their bit to raise money and awareness.
Parveen said: “Alzheimer’s Society has been our company’s charity for seven years and one that is close to our hearts because it affects so many families.
“My father has dementia, so I know first hand what a cruel disease it is.
“We wanted to do something a bit different to raise awareness and hopefully this will encourage people to book a free hearing check and at the same time raise money for a good cause.”
Sales assistant Mark Bentley lost both grandmothers to dementia and trained as a Dementia Friend as part of the Scrivens’ charity partnership.
He said: “We do have a lot of elderly customers with different stages of dementia, so I was keen to take up the opportunity to become a Dementia Friend.
“The training was brilliant and has really helped me understand what someone with dementia is experiencing. I now have the tools to help manage the situation when it arises, with empathy, kindness and patience being key.”
Scrivens chose Alzheimer’s Society as its charity because there is evidence of a link between uncorrected hearing loss and dementia, including Alzheimer’s.
The family business, which was established in 1938, has 173 stores in England and Wales. For more information, visit www.scrivens.com.
