A DEDICATED fundraiser has proved he has the Lions share by collecting 30,000 pairs of glasses for a charity campaign.

Philip Barry, from the Woodley and Earley Lions Club, has been gathering up glasses as part of the club's Spectrek appeal for six years, which collects unwanted spectacles and re-distributes them to people across the globe who do not have access to opticians.

Lions spokeswoman Alison Keen said: "Philip is a very dedicated member who visits the many outlets and collects the spectacles, making about 20 trips per month.

"His work is invaluable and thanks to his efforts and the generosity of the local community we have proved to be one of the most proactive clubs in the area for Spectrek.

"When one looks at the outcome it is one of the most rewarding things we do. In these days of green issues the Lions spectacle collection project is more than recycling; it is the reuse of a costly asset, and most important of all, the collection brings hope to many families in the developing world who would have been blighted by the loss of sight."

The project has been running for more than 30 years and two million pairs of glasses have been collected.

Recycle old glasses at Specsavers in Woodley precinct and Shinfield Road, The Earley Crescent Resource Centre and Asda in Earley, Vision Express in The Oracle, Optical Express in Friar Street and the Royal Berkshire Hospital Othoptic Eye Clinic.