Specsavers moves into former HSBC site in Barry

Specsavers, which was situated on 108 Holton Road, has now moved to the former HSBC building on the same road.

The relocation comes as the opticians is celebrating 20 years of service to the Barry Community, and just after the store was nominated as a finalist for Employer of the Year in the Vale of Glamorgan Business Awards 2022.

The new-look, two-story store has seven test rooms, up from four, and offers twice the number of audiology clinics. And five new jobs have been created as part of the expansion.

Caitlin Pugh (Image: Caitlin Pugh)

A Shirley Bassey impersonator at the opening of the new specsavers. Picture: Caitlin Pugh

Last Friday, they hosted a fundraising event in store. A Shirley Bassey impersonator, dogs from local charity Hope Rescue and a cake stall were all on display for Barry residents to enjoy.

In total, £219.44 was raised for Hope Rescue and £69.05 for Macmillan Cancer Support on the day.

Helen Hopgood, director at Specsavers in Barry, was delighted to extend the store's footprint.

She said: “There is no better way to celebrate our 20th anniversary than to expand our business to meet the demands of our customers.

“To celebrate this milestone with our customers, and raise money for two fantastic charities, was an extremely proud moment for us.

Caitlin Pugh (Image: Caitlin Pugh)

"In the Vale of Glamorgan, there are approximately 4,790 people living with sight loss and we as opticians need to act fast if we are to help reverse these trends.

"By having the extra space to invest in additional state-of-the-art kit, we can do just that."

Two members of the team are currently taking on an independent prescribing course, which means they can directly prescribe medication to customers that need it.

This will reduce the number of GP referrals the store needs to make and eases the pressure on the NHS.

To further expand the skillset the skillset of the team, another staff member is also starting a glaucoma refinement course.