GORSEINON: Opticians to divert old glasses from landfill with new recycling initiative

The initiative forms part of Specsavers’ national roll-out of recycling boxes across all UK stores, supporting the business’s ambition to reduce waste and work towards becoming a climate-positive business.

Delivered in partnership with recycling and waste management company MyGroup, the scheme ensures hard-to-recycle plastics that might otherwise end up in landfill are separated, sorted and repurposed into new materials for products such as joinery boards and furniture.

In 2025, Specsavers and MyGroup recycled 72 tonnes of material, equivalent to the weight of a mature blue whale. The amount, collected from 659 stores and labs, represented an increase of almost five tonnes compared with the previous year.

Head of Sustainability for the UK and Ireland, Helen Curran, says:

“At Specsavers, we believe that sustainability must show up in our everyday operations.

“Investing in customer recycling in every one of our UK stores is exactly that: a practical, tangible step that keeps valuable materials in circulation and makes it genuinely easy for our customers to be part of the solution.

“We look forward to seeing the positive impact of the increased rollout in the years ahead.”

The expansion of the scheme means a further 300 stores now offer recycling facilities and marks the latest milestone in the initiative, which began in 2022.

Sarah Thomas, optometrist director at Specsavers Gorseinon, adds:

“As a business serving the Gorseinon community, we’re always looking for ways to have a positive impact beyond eye and hearing care. We’re proud to introduce this initiative locally and hope customers will support it by bringing unwanted items into the store during their visits.’

Gorseinon residents wishing to donate old glasses can visit the store seven days a week.

To find out more information about Specsavers in Gorseinon, request an appointment or browse the online store, visit www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/gorseinon.

Additionally, to make eye health accessible to all, the store offers a Home Visits service for those unable to leave their homes unaccompanied due to disability or illness.

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SWANSEA: From -191 goal difference to promoted — Cwm Albion complete the most remarkable turnaround in Welsh football

The 114-year-old Swansea club secured promotion to Division One of the Swansea Senior League on Saturday with a thumping 6-2 victory over African Community Centre — completing one of the most remarkable turnarounds in grassroots football anywhere in Wales.

The win sparked wild celebrations among players, staff and supporters who had endured some very dark days not so long ago.

In the 2022/23 season, Cwm Albion finished bottom of Division Four with a goal difference of -191.

They lost every single game.

It was as bad as it sounds — and it earned them a rather unwanted distinction.

Specsavers selected them as its “Best Worst Team” — an initiative designed to help the UK’s worst-performing grassroots club turn things around.

The support that followed included mentorship from footballing legend Harry Redknapp, who worked with the squad and helped attract new players to the club.

The transformation began almost immediately. Within a season, Cwm Albion went from a team conceding ten goals a game to one that couldn’t be beaten.

They then reached a cup final for the first time in 26 years — a moment that would have been unthinkable during those bleak days at the bottom of Division Four.

And now, promotion.

Manager Dan Gill said the achievement was hard to take in. “Three seasons ago we couldn’t buy a win, we were conceding games heavily every week,” he said. “To go from that to now being promoted in the Swansea Senior League is unbelievable. Looking back, it doesn’t even feel like the same club anymore.”

Gill said the Specsavers initiative had been the turning point. “We’ve got more players coming in, we’re winning more, scoring more and conceding less,” he said. “I’m so proud of everyone involved.”

He said other clubs had been asking how Cwm Albion kept going during the worst of it. “It just shows how far we’ve come,” he added.

Saturday’s 6-2 win takes them into Division One next season — and nobody who watched them three years ago would have believed it possible.

The Cwm Albion story

Harry Redknapp helps Swansea amateur side deemed UK’s worst performing football team
How the Specsavers Best Worst Team initiative brought Harry Redknapp to Cwm Albion.

Cwm Albion turn from Best Worst Team to unbeaten heroes
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The moment that showed how far Cwm Albion had come.

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HEARING FEAR: Ammanford star Owain Wyn Evans warns “I was missing conversations”

The Ammanford-born broadcaster and drummer says he first noticed something was wrong when he started missing parts of conversations — after years performing in loud environments.

“It was a shock,” he admitted. “I realised I was turning the volume up more and missing things people were saying.”

Now the 42-year-old is fronting a campaign with Specsavers — urging people not to ignore the warning signs.

The new research paints a worrying picture.

A staggering 45% of adults in Wales say their hearing has changed in recent years — yet more than a quarter haven’t taken any action and don’t plan to.

Even more concerning, over a third say they’ve never taken steps to protect their hearing at all.

For Owain, the issue goes beyond health — it’s about identity.

“Sound is such a huge part of who we are in Wales,” he said. “From the countryside to the sea — those sounds connect us to home.”

And the data backs him up.

• 72% say a Welsh accent makes Wales feel like home
• 60% say it’s the sound of a choir
• 73% say singing at rugby and football matches brings people together

But those sounds could be at risk.

More than a third of people report ringing ears or muffled hearing after gigs — a key warning sign of damage.

Experts say hearing loss often happens gradually, meaning people delay getting help — sometimes for years.

Owain is now urging people to act early before it’s too late.

“Protecting our hearing means protecting those connections,” he said.

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Swansea audiologists back world champion Wales Deaf Rugby teams as they prepare to defend titles in Tokyo

The backing from Specsavers Swansea, alongside 10 other locally owned Specsavers audiology businesses across Wales, will fund new kits, training facilities and travel to upcoming fixtures as the teams gear up for international competition.

The sponsorship comes as Wales Deaf Rugby works towards a £150,000 fundraising target to enable its men’s and women’s squads to travel to Japan and compete at the World Championship in October. The teams were last crowned world champions in Córdoba, Argentina, in 2023.

Ahead of a recent winning match against Jamaica, several players visited Specsavers’ Port Talbot store, where they met Kyle James, Specsavers audiologist, to discuss how hearing plays a key role in both sport and everyday life.

Kyle James said:

“Wales Deaf Rugby shows what’s possible when talent is matched with the right support. We’re proud to be backing both the men’s and women’s teams as they prepare to defend their world titles.

“As audiologists rooted in the local community, we see first-hand the difference good hearing health can make – not just in sport, but in confidence, communication and everyday life. Supporting these athletes is about inclusion, opportunity and helping them compete on the world stage.”

Siân-Elin Melbourne, chairman for Wales Deaf Rugby, added:

“This partnership means a huge amount to us, especially in such a pivotal year for the club. I was proud to be part of the very first Wales Deaf women’s team back in 2019, and to now see both squads preparing to defend world titles on the global stage is incredibly powerful.

“Support from Specsavers doesn’t just help with travel and kits – it sends a message to our players that they are valued, believed in and backed by their communities. As we build towards Tokyo, that belief makes all the difference.”

Wales Deaf Rugby is a Welsh sports charity dedicated to creating inclusive opportunities for deaf and hard-of-hearing athletes, promoting access, equality and excellence in sport. It is volunteer-run and receives no funding from the Welsh Rugby Union.

The club is currently fundraising to reach its £150,000 target to send both squads to Tokyo for the World Championship in October, where they will face international competition as defending champions.

People wishing to donate to the club’s World Deaf Rugby 7s World Championship fundraiser can do so at donate.giveasyoulive.com/campaign/help-send-wdru-to-the-world-cup-2026.

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