THE Lions Club of Tavistock has collected hundreds of pairs of used spectacles over the years, which have been sent to Third World countries where, through the Lions International organisation, they are graded and given to people in need.

The Lions this week thanked Tavistock Library for acting as the collecting point, everybody who donated the many pairs and especially the person who recently gave in a large number of virtually brand new spectacles.

 Steve Grummitt, spokesman for the club, said: 'Lions Clubs worldwide have always been great supporters of sight-related projects and as far back as 1925, Helen Keller, who was blind as well as deaf, challenged the Lions to become "knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness" — in fact the Lions Clubs in America were responsible for promoting the use of the white stick by the blind.

'Through the Lions International project Campaign SightFirst, almost £160-million has been raised worldwide since it was started in 1989.

'The money has been used in more than 956 projects in 102 countries to restore sight to almost eight million people through cataract surgery, prevented serious vision loss for 30 million people and improved eye care services for hundreds of millions.'

Tavistock Lions Club supports the project through donations from its fundraising activities. Members will organise an event in the town on Saturday, October 16 to help celebrate World Sight Day.

Steve said: 'In the meantime the club hopes that when people have new spectacles that they donate the old ones to this worthy cause by taking them to Tavistock Library rather than leaving them in the back of the drawer to gather dust!'