Vision Care for Homeless People

Name

Vision Care for Homeless People

Legal name

Vision Care for Homeless People

Website

https://visioncareforhomelesspeople.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vision Care for Homeless People is a UK registered charity that provides free eye examinations and prescription glasses to homeless and vulnerably housed individuals through a network of volunteer-run clinics across England, Wales, and Scotland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Healthcare Services

NAICS

Offices of Optometrists (62132), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

Keywords

• Charitable eye care
• Homeless vision services
• Free eye examinations
• Volunteer optometry clinics
• Community healthcare

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The charity operates primarily through donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, and fundraising activities. They utilize online fundraising platforms (Enthuse) and organize events and challenges to generate donations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Vision Care for Homeless People provides free comprehensive eye examinations, prescription glasses, and related vision care services directly to homeless and vulnerably housed individuals in the UK. Services are delivered through a network of volunteer-run clinics staffed by pro bono optometrists and dispensing opticians, supplemented by referrals from Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and seasonal Crisis at Christmas pop-up clinics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vision Care for Homeless People Services Free comprehensive eye examinations, prescription glasses, and referrals delivered to homeless and vulnerably housed individuals across the UK through volunteer-run clinics staffed by pro bono optometrists and dispensing opticians.
• Crisis at Christmas Pop-up Optician Service Seasonal mobile eye care clinic delivered in partnership with Crisis UK during the Crisis at Christmas event, providing eye examinations and glasses to homeless individuals during the holiday period.
• ICB Partnership Eye Care Service Eye care service integrated with Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) across the UK, providing referrals and care for homeless individuals through mainstream NHS healthcare pathways.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Integrated Care Boards (ICBs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVision Care works with Integrated Care Boards across the UK to integrate homeless vision care services into broader healthcare pathways. The charity's 'Working with ICBs' program aims to establish sustainable referral systems for homeless individuals needing eye care.
• Crisis UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership with Crisis at Christmas to provide optician services during the homeless charity's Christmas event, delivering eye care to homeless guests attending the event.

Broad incumbents

• Centrepoint: UK charity supporting homeless young people through housing, health, and personal development services. Comparable as a homelessness-focused service charity engaging the same broad beneficiary population in the UK.
• Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB): Major UK sight-loss charity providing services, advice, and advocacy for blind and partially sighted people. Comparable as a UK vision charity, though operating at much broader scale and on blindness rather than uncorrected refractive error among homeless populations.
• Shelter: UK national charity focused on housing and homelessness. Comparable as a large UK charity engaging homeless beneficiaries through advocacy and direct services, though operating at policy and housing-supply scale rather than clinical service delivery.
• Crisis UK: Major UK national homelessness charity and existing strategic partner of Vision Care for Homeless People (Crisis at Christmas opticians service). Overlaps on homeless beneficiary base and convening power, though Vision Care operates as a specialist vertical partner rather than a competitor.
• St Mungo's: One of the largest UK charities providing housing, health, and recovery services to homeless people. Comparable as a homelessness-serving organization that addresses health access gaps among the same beneficiary population, though via a broader service portfolio.

Others

• Homeless Link: UK national membership body for homelessness charities. Comparable as an ecosystem participant that Vision Care could partner with or learn from for scaling referral pathways into homelessness services.
• The Big Issue Foundation: UK charity supporting Big Issue vendors through financial inclusion, health, and well-being programs. Comparable as a charity engaging homeless and vulnerably housed individuals in the UK with wraparound support services.

Direct peers

• SeeAbility: UK charity delivering specialist eye care and vision rehabilitation, including for people with learning disabilities and autism who often face access barriers. Comparable as a vision-focused charity serving populations excluded from mainstream eye care.
• Vision Aid Overseas: UK-registered charity providing free eye care and glasses to people in low-income countries via volunteer optometrists. Closely comparable service model (pro bono optical professionals, free exams and glasses) applied to a different underserved beneficiary population.

Regional players

• The Connection at St Martin's: London-based charity supporting people sleeping rough or in crisis with health, housing, and outreach services. Comparable as a homelessness-services organization with overlapping beneficiary base and London geography.

Market position

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VisionCareForHomelessPeople
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vision-care-for-homeless-people

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vision Care for Homeless People