A Beccles optician is backing an ambitious regional awareness campaign while raising money for children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent.

Observatory the Opticians and its sister practice in Southwold have given their backing to the Keira Campaign, which launched last month to raise awareness of the importance of having regular eye tests.

The campaign was launched by the family of 17-year-old Keira Dixon after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour when abnormalities were spotted by an optometrist during an eye examination at the Wardale Williams practice in Halstead, Essex.

Keira was immediately referred to hospital and within five days underwent lifesaving surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Since her treatment she has undergone more than 30 sessions of radiotherapy, lengthy periods of steroid treatment and has MRI scans at Addenbrookes’ Hospital in Cambridge every three months.

Observatory the Opticians is part of the same group as Wardale Williams, which teamed up with Keira’s family to launch the campaign.

To date more than £1,600 has been raised for CLIC Sargent.

Jacqui Sayer, practice manager at Beccles, said: “As it was a colleague of ours who spotted Keira’s tumour we do have a close personal connection to this campaign. However, the main aspect for us is to raise awareness of the importance of having regular eye tests. Eyes are a good indicator of general health potentially life-threatening conditions can be spotted during eye examinations, so it is very important people have their eyes tested at least every two years. Also, we are delighted to support CLIC Sargent who do an admirable job supporting children with cancer.

“We are planning a number of fundraising activities over the next six-months, but anyone who wants to support the campaign can simply pop into either the practices at Beccles and Southwold to make a donation.”