Vision Aid Overseas is a UK charity dedicated to people in the developing world who have vision conditions preventing them from living ordinary lives. Since 1985 the charity has been sending volunteer optometrists and dispensing opticians to some of the worlds poorest countries to provide direct service clinics, engage in training and set up workshops to help hundreds of thousands of people who desperately need spectacles to live ordinary lives. The work of Vision Aid Overseas is giving children the opportunity to return to school, skilled craftsmen the means to continue there work and allowing mothers and fathers to feed their families.

And now YOU have the opportunity to get involved.

The Irvine Aitchison Memorial Fund is a is a registered charity, founded in memory of the first Chairman of the Society of Opticians, that aims to give students of optometry and optics the opportunity to help people in the developing world.

The fund is offering two bursaries that will enable students to travel to Africa with Vision Aid Overseas next year.

You may apply for an IAMF bursary to work with Vision Aid Overseas is you are a second year optometry or dispensing optics student (for students at Glasgow Caledonian University 3rd year) in a UK univeristy, college or distance learning course.

An application form will be available during 2008.

The fund will reimburse travel costs.

PLEASE NOTE Entry to the bursary is open to all students who have completed two years of an optometry course (in the case of Glasgow Caledonian University, three years) or two years of a dispensing optics course at college or by a distance learning course by the 1st November in the calendar year they are applying. Deadlines for application to the bursary must be made by 1st November for a bursary offer in the subsequent calendar year (i.e. applications received by 1st November 2007 will be for a bursary offer for a VAO project in summer 2008). Students participants will not be able to refract and will be primarily involved in dispensing aspects of the project. However, optometrist on the team will try to involve students in the work and may draw attention to interesting conditions observed. Students who are successful will be expected to join Vision Aid Overseas at the student rate of membership (at the time of print £10 per month, but Vision Aid Overseas reserves the right to amend its membership fees at any time: details can be found on the VAO website and by contacting the office) and attend a Vision Aid Overseas training day before embarking on a project. All details will be provided by Vision Aid Overseas to successful applicants.