Corporate Responsibility

Introduction

At Ocuco we recognise our corporate obligations and responsibilities and are committed to fulfilling them. We sponsor charity organizations and we take a responsible approach to environmental issues. In addition, the management and staff of the company believe that a commitment to supporting the development of the wider community is an important part of our corporate responsibility (‘CR’).

Partnership

Ocuco is a Platinum National Sponsor of Optometry Giving Sight. Optometry Giving Sight is the only global fundraising initiative that specifically targets the prevention of blindness and impaired vision due to uncorrected refractive error - simply the need for an eye exam and a pair of glasses.

At least 670 million people around the world are blind or vision impaired because they do not have access to the eye examination and glasses they need. We fund the solution by supporting programs that deliver:

• Vision Care - eye exams, low-cost eye glasses and low-vision devices
• Training - of optometrists, eye care personnel and their teachers
• Infrastructure development - establishment and support of vision centres, eye clinics and schools of optometry

Optometry Giving Sight supports of the goals of VISION 2020: The Right to Sight, an initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). VISION 2020 aims to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020, in order to give all people in the world the right to sight. Optometrists, opticians, their staff and patients, optical companies and their staff support Optometry Giving Sight by making donations and raising funds in their practices and work places.

Ocuco is partner with the charity Vision Care for Homeless People (VCHP) in an effort to bring vision care to homeless people throughout the UK. “Vision Care for Homeless People” is a charity set-up to provide eyecare services to homeless and other vulnerable people in an accessible and friendly environment in which they feel safe, welcome and comfortable.

Homeless people may not know that when receiving financial benefits that they are eligible for an NHS eye examination and voucher towards spectacles. Even if they do know this very few practices will make spectacles totally free of charge and even a small charge may be unmanageable. We provide a fully comprehensive, high quality service totally free of charge.

To help VCHP attract the funding they require to expand their services nationwide, Ocuco has enabled their Acuitas and Focus Practice Management Systems to process charitable donations from patients at the till. Donations can be collected for any charity of choice. Instructions for how to configure the software are on our website with guidelines for both Acuitas and FOCUS customers.

Environment

Global warming and climate change are substantial concerns in today’s world. Ocuco recognises its responsibility to the environment and aims to operate in a way which minimises its carbon footprint. Ocuco has an Energy Policy which recognises the importance of practising energy efficiency to minimise costs and impact on the environment.

Workplace

The skill of our people is important to Ocuco. We aim to develop our people by furthering their technical and specialist competencies. This ensures that our employees receive the appropriate training to help them undertake their role within the company.

As well as supporting our staff during their careers, we are committed to safeguarding their future later in life. We therefore continue to support an incentive based pension scheme, whereby staff are encouraged to make additional voluntary contributions (‘AVCs’) to their pension.

In conclusion, the staff, management team aspire to uphold a set of core values and principles by which to operate in the best interests of all our stakeholders, customers, suppliers and the community.