800 not out – Flintoff opens milestone store for Specsavers

Cricket legend-turned-broadcaster Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff has officially opened Specsavers’ 800th UK and Irish store in his home town of Preston.

The former Lancashire and England all-rounder visited the Sainsbury’s Superstore in Deepdale to cut the ribbon on Flintoff Way alongside Specsavers co-founder Dame Mary Perkins and store partners Chris Shore and Sean Buckley.

Dame Mary said: “When we opened our first Specsavers store in Bristol in 1984 it was impossible to imagine that we would one day be opening our 800th store. It is an amazing milestone.

“The Deepdale store is the fifth we have opened in a Sainsbury’s since August last year. We are delighted with the success of this collaboration with Sainsbury’s and have agreed to open a further nine locations in Sainsbury’s before the end of March next year.’

Flintoff said: “One of the first lessons they teach you in cricket, football or any sport as a kid is to “keep your eye on the ball” but so many of us take our sight for granted.

“To see how far eye and audiology healthcare has developed since Specsavers opened its first store is incredible. I’ve heard how nearly half of all sight loss is preventable so I’m fully behind Specsavers.”

Flintoff also tried out the Eye Pod, an interactive sight loss simulator funded by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and Specsavers.

The Eye Pod demonstrates how the four main eye conditions (age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and cataracts) can affect your sight.

The trailer has two cameras on top of the pod which link to screens inside where the public can view their surroundings with symptoms of each condition. In each case the experience lasts around one minute, with key facts and statistics about the condition then appearing on the screen.

The Eye Pod has been on tour around the UK as part of the Specsavers and RNIB Transforming eye health campaign.

In addition to the new Preston Deepdale store, retail director Chris Shore and ophthalmic director Sean Buckley also own and run the Specsavers store in Preston, at 1 Friargate, as part of a joint venture partnership.

Shore said: “We are really proud of the new store and we enjoyed being able to celebrate with our staff and customers and, of course, local legend Freddie Flintoff.”