Leopold Lions Club ensures clear vision for a brighter future

THE Leopold Lions Club is doing its bit to improve the eye health of primary school aged children across the Greater Geelong region, hosting a regular vision testing program.

The Lions Eye Health Program operates across the country, with several other local clubs on the Bellarine also participating in the initiative, with the aim of reducing the incidence and impact of vision loss on the community.

Vision impairment remains an overlooked concern in Australia with an estimated one in five children possessing an undetected vision issue, impacting their growth and development.

Leopold Lions Club’s Carmel Vella said the club considered the program one of the best initiatives it has ever undertaken, and the team had a great deal of fun visiting primary schools in the region to complete the testing.

“You can actually see the people you’re helping…You can see the immediate difference it makes.

“And they’re kids, which is our future.

“That’s why I find it really rewarding, and I think everyone else in the team probably would say the same thing.”

The club screens seven different primary schools, typically on an annual basis, and tests for a wide variety of vision issues, including near-sightedness, far-sightedness, colour-blindness and depth perception, using a state-of-the-art portable camera along with an assortment of different eye charts.

The Lions Club benefits from having its own camera, valued at $9,000, after Community Bank Leopold donated the necessary funds for its purchase earlier this year.

“Generally speaking, we do Grade 1 and 6, because they’re the grades where the kids are just learning to read in Grade 1 and then in Grade 6, they’re about to go to high school,” Ms Vella said.

“But in some schools, like Newcomb Primary School and Whittington, they’re such small schools that we actually do the whole school.

“It’s a really good program. We find, generally speaking, about 25 per cent of the kids have an issue – which is a lot.

“It might only be something minor, but if you pick it up when they’re young, it’s a lot better than waiting until they’re older.”

Ms Vella said in the two years the club had been providing the vision testing program, there had been some amazing success stories, most notably a young boy in Moolap whose undetected vision concerns had led to significant struggles at school.

“It makes you feel very good because you know that his future has changed.

“Apparently, they couldn’t figure out what his particular issue was. He was always troubled, according to the welfare officer at the school, but they didn’t know why he was troubled.”

She said once his vision concerns were addressed, he transformed into a star pupil.

“It’s nice to know you’re helping someone. It’s as much a reward for us as it is for them.

“All volunteering makes you feel wonderful, but just to know that we’ve helped that one kid – I mean, we’ve helped lots of kids – but just to know that that’s an example of what a difference it makes for us actually turning up and doing this; it’s wonderful.”

Ms Vella encouraged local parents who receive a letter from the Lions Eye Health Program seeking permission to test their children’s vision to take up the free offering so their children could also reap the benefits.

For more information about the program, head to lehp.org.au