Give Your Old Glasses a New Purpose at the Glenshiel Fair

This year, we’re inviting visitors to bring their unwanted glasses to the Glenshiel Fair and help support the important work of St John Eye Care across South Africa.

Most of us have a pair of glasses tucked away somewhere at home. Perhaps it’s an old prescription, a pair of reading glasses you no longer need, or sunglasses that haven’t been worn in years.

Rather than leaving them in a drawer, why not bring them along to the Glenshiel Fair this October?

From 28 October to 1 November 2026, we’ll be collecting unwanted glasses and frames at the Fair in support of St John Eye Care. It’s a simple way to give something you no longer use a new purpose, while helping to make eye care more accessible to people across South Africa.

Helping South Africans see more clearly

For many people, something as straightforward as a pair of prescription glasses can make an enormous difference to everyday life. Being able to read comfortably, see clearly at school, work safely or go about daily activities with confidence is something that can easily be taken for granted.

Yet access to affordable eye care remains a challenge for many South Africans.

St John Eye Care works to address this need through its network of eye care centres, providing affordable eye examinations and spectacles to communities across the country.

The Glenshiel Fair is held in aid of St John South Africa, and this year’s glasses collection offers visitors another practical way to support that work.

The difference a pair of glasses can make

In 2025, St John South Africa carried out around 10,000 eye examinations and dispensed more than 6,000 pairs of spectacles, helping thousands of people access the vision care they need.

These figures show the scale of St John’s work, but the difference is often felt in the smallest everyday moments.

In one community eye care initiative in the Free State, St John worked with Sasol to provide eye care to older people and people living with disabilities in Deneysville and Oranjeville. The project provided eye examinations to 510 people, with 404 receiving spectacles.

For someone struggling with poor eyesight, having the right glasses can mean being able to read again, carry out everyday tasks more easily or continue working.

It’s a reminder of why accessible eye care matters, and why we’re encouraging visitors to support this year’s collection.

What glasses can you donate?

We’re happy to accept:

• Prescription glasses, including old prescriptions
• Reading glasses
• Sunglasses, including prescription sunglasses
• Empty spectacle frames, even without lenses

Donated glasses and frames will be passed on to St John Eye Care for assessment, with suitable items reused, refitted or upcycled where possible.

Simply bring along any unwanted glasses you have at home.

Another way to Shop for Good

The Glenshiel Fair has always been about bringing people together for a good cause. Every ticket helps support the work of St John South Africa, and this year’s glasses collection is another opportunity for visitors to get involved.

So, before you head to the Fair, have a quick look through your drawers and cupboards. You may find a pair of glasses you’ve forgotten about, but that could still have a useful future.

Bring them along and help us give them a new purpose.

We look forward to welcoming you to Glenshiel.