Helping to build a village
CUSTOMERS of Specsavers in Coventry have helped raise £450 towards the building of a medical centre in a small African village.
The opticians, in The Precinct, held a fundraising day last month and invited Nana Poma Kwaaduah XVIII, the chief of the Ghanan village of Akatekyiwa, for an eye test.
Customers were photographed with him for a small donation and were also able to enter competitions including guess the number of specs in the box. The store donated £2.50 for every eye test and staff dressed in red, yellow and green for the day.
The store got involved with Akatekyiwa through sales assistant Stephanie Campbell, aged 23. She has visited Ghana several times and has supported various projects including a new toilet block and playground for the village nursery.
Her dad Alistair, who is the director of the Coventry Specsavers, has also got involved in the project after joining his daughter on a visit to the village.
He said: "We were delighted to welcome the Chief and his wife to Coventry last month. It was their first time to the UK and they both seemed to really enjoy it.
"As well as what was raised in the store, over the past year as a family we have raised an additional £8,500 for Akatekyiwa by holding a big garden party and auction at home in August."