A DURHAM optometrist is flying to Uganda to provide eyecare to some of the poorest people in the world.

Priya Almani, 23, is flying out today as part of a team of six organised by the UK charity Vision Aid Overseas.

For two weeks the team will give free eye tests and eye care to people who otherwise would not have the money or the access to treatment.

Priya, who works at Specsavers in North Road, was keen to volunteer, having been born and brought up in Kenya.

She said: "I've lived in a Third World country and seen how quality of life can suffer because people don't have access to basic healthcare we take for granted here in England.

"Uganda is a very poor country and this trip will literally change the lives of the people we treat. It's a fantastic opportunity and I'm really looking forward to the experience.''

Vision Aid Overseas was set up in 1985 and operates the largest spectacles recycling scheme in the UK, where old glasses are collected, sorted, graded and packed prior to transportation overseas to help thousands of patients.

The charity then sends teams of volunteer optometrists and dispensing opticians abroad to screen patients.

The trip has cost Priya £600 but she believes it is worth it. "I love working as an optometrist and I'm really looking forward to putting my skills to good use and actually changing people's lives with my work," she said.

People can donate cash or old glasses at Specsavers.