Two-thirds of us gave money to charity in the past month, according to the government’s Community Life Survey (Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2023). Small charities, with incomes under £1m, make up 96% of the sector but receive just 17% of total income (National Council for Voluntary Organisations, 2023). They rely on support for everything from food banks to running cafes for people with dementia.

Optometry practices are at the heart of their communities and many give prizes to school raffles, have charity collection boxes or even run marathons to raise funds. We spoke to eye care professionals about what they do to contribute and how it affects their local area and their business.