Colwyn Bay opticians raise £696 for North Wales charities 2026

Key Points

• Specsavers Colwyn Bay collected £696 for children and families throughout North Wales through its fundraising drive in August 2026.
• The company gave £1 per pair of glasses sold where customers could choose from North Wales Superkids and The Little Princess Trust.
• North Wales Superkids got £217 to help vulnerable children and The Little Princess Trust got £229 from the sale of glasses along with £250 from hair donation.
• One of the members, Tara Owen, donated 14 inches of her hair to The Little Princess Trust and managed to raise an additional £250.
• According to Andy Deeley, the clinical director of Specsavers Colwyn Bay, it was vital for them to help local organizations.
• Wendy Tarplee-Morris, the founder of The Little Princess Trust, expressed her gratitude towards the company and its customers.

Wales (Wales Times) September 12, 2026 — A Colwyn Bay opticians has raised almost £700 for charities supporting children and families through a month-long fundraising campaign. Specsavers Colwyn Bay donated £1 for every pair of glasses sold throughout August, with customers choosing whether their donation went to North Wales Superkids or The Little Princess Trust. The campaign raised £217 for North Wales Superkids, which supports disadvantaged children across North Wales, while £229 went to The Little Princess Trust, which provides real-hair wigs for children and young people experiencing hair loss. The fundraising was given an additional boost when Specsavers colleague Tara Owen donated 14 inches of her hair to The Little Princess Trust, raising a further £250 for the charity. The combined fundraising from the glasses campaign and Tara’s hair donation comes to £696.

How much money did Specsavers Colwyn Bay raise for local charities in August 2026?

Specsavers Colwyn Bay raised a total of £696 for two children’s charities during its August 2026 fundraising initiative. Of this amount, £217 was donated to North Wales Superkids, which helps disadvantaged children across the region, and £229 to The Little Princess Trust to help provide real-hair wigs for children and young people experiencing hair loss. An additional £250 was raised through a personal hair donation by team member Tara Owen, bringing the combined total to £696.

Which charities benefited from the Specsavers Colwyn Bay fundraiser?

Two charities benefited from the Specsavers Colwyn Bay fundraiser: North Wales Superkids and The Little Princess Trust. North Wales Superkids supports disadvantaged children across North Wales, while The Little Princess Trust provides real-hair wigs for children and young people experiencing hair loss. Customers were able to choose which charity received their £1 donation by placing a token into their preferred charity box when purchasing glasses.

What was the fundraising mechanism used by Specsavers Colwyn Bay?

Specsavers Colwyn Bay used a £1-per-glasses-sold donation model throughout August 2026. Customers choosing to participate could direct their £1 donation to either North Wales Superkids or The Little Princess Trust via a token system. The initiative was organised by the optician team and ran for the entire month of August, with details available on the Specsavers Colwyn Bay website.

Who organised the Specsavers Colwyn Bay charity campaign?

The fundraising initiative was organised by the Specsavers Colwyn Bay team. Andy Deeley, clinical director at Specsavers Colwyn Bay, said supporting local organisations was an important part of the business. Team member Tara Owen also played a key role by donating 14 inches of her hair to The Little Princess Trust, raising an additional £250 for the charity.

What did Andy Deeley say about the fundraising results?

Andy Deeley, clinical director at Specsavers Colwyn Bay, said: “As a locally owned and run business, supporting our community and the organisations that help local families is really important to us.” He added:

“We’re delighted with the amount raised and really grateful to everyone who supported our chosen causes. We’re already looking ahead to our next fundraiser and hoping we can do just as well!”

What did Tara Owen say about her hair donation?

Tara Owen said donating her hair was something she had wanted to do for some time. Speaking to local media, she said:

“Cutting my hair was something I’d wanted to do for a while and knowing it would help young people who need the support made it even more meaningful.”

She added:

“I’d like to thank everyone who donated. It’s fantastic to see how much we’ve been able to raise together.”

What did Wendy Tarplee-Morris say about the donation?

Wendy Tarplee-Morris, founder of The Little Princess Trust, thanked the team and customers for their support. She said:

“We are so grateful to all the team and customers at Specsavers Colwyn Bay.”

On Tara Owen’s contribution, she added:

“It’s also wonderful to hear of Tara’s fantastic hair donation and fundraising. This combined support will be a huge help to us as we continue to provide the very best wigs for children with hair loss.”

Background of the development

Specsavers is one of the UK’s largest high street opticians chains, with hundreds of practices across the country. The company has a history of community fundraising, with individual practices regularly supporting local charities through glasses sales, events and personal donations. In August 2026, Specsavers reported a 26.6% rise in pre-tax profits to £430m, resuming dividend payments to its parent company controlled by founders Doug and Dame Mary Perkins. The Colwyn Bay branch’s £696 fundraising effort forms part of this wider pattern of local community support by Specsavers practices.

North Wales Superkids is a regional charity that supports disadvantaged children across North Wales, while The Little Princess Trust is a national charity that provides real-hair wigs free of charge to children and young people experiencing hair loss due to medical conditions or treatments. The trust relies on hair donations and fundraising to continue its work, with each wig costing significant amounts to produce.

Prediction: How this development can affect local families and charities in North Wales

The £696 raised by Specsavers Colwyn Bay will provide direct support to disadvantaged children and young people experiencing hair loss across North Wales. For North Wales Superkids, the £217 donation can help fund activities, resources or support services for children facing hardship in the region. For The Little Princess Trust, the combined £479 (£229 from glasses sales plus £250 from the hair donation) will contribute towards providing real-hair wigs to children and young people who need them.

Beyond the immediate financial impact, the initiative may encourage other local businesses in Conwy county and wider North Wales to run similar fundraising campaigns, potentially multiplying the support available to children’s charities in the area. The public nature of the fundraiser, reported by local media including Bayside Radio and Herald Wales, also raises awareness of the work done by North Wales Superkids and The Little Princess Trust, which could lead to additional donations from members of the public who learn about the charities through the coverage.