There Is Nothing Like A Dame!

(Wednesday, June 07, 2006) - THE founder of Specsavers, Mary Perkins, has been appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

Dame Mary, as she can now be known, is the first woman in optics to receive such an accolade, which is in recognition of her services to business and the community in Guernsey.

'I am absolutely thrilled, as you can imagine,' she said of hearing the news. 'This is a huge honour, not just for me but for everyone at Specsavers, as we all work as a team to give our customers what they want - quality, value for money professional eyecare.

'This makes me even more determined to passionately pursue the path we set ourselves 25 years ago and to continue to serve the British public.'

With her husband Doug, Mary is recognised as revolutionising the optical industry in Britain by relentlessly pursuing her dream to make fashionable eyecare affordable for everyone.

Mary and Doug set up Specsavers in Guernsey 23 years ago. It is now the largest privately owned opticians in the world with nearly 900 stores across the UK and Europe and a new supply chain already established in Australia. Turnover is expected to exceed £1 billion within the next two years. Their rapidly expanding hearing service now sells more hearing aids than anyone else in Britain and Specsavers continues to remain the market leaders in optics, with more than three times market share of its nearest high street competitors.

Despite juggling work and family life for more than 40 years, Mary remains at the heart of the business, with a strong focus on public relations and corporate social responsibility.

Says husband Doug: 'Mary is one of those very special people who, despite working hard in the business all day, always finds the time and energy to commit herself to others in the community. I am immensely proud of her, as are we all at Specsavers.'

Mary's passion for people has not been confined to the business community; She has also ensured that numerous charities have benefited from Specsavers success and family values, including SightSavers, Fight for Sight, Vision Aid Overseas, several cancer charities, Age Concern, Children in Need, road safety charity Brake, Guide Dogs, for whom Specsavers raised £200,000 to fund the training of 40 new puppies, Deafness Research UK and most recently Diabetes UK, promoting the need for regular retinal screening among diabetics.

Mary also leads support for industry organisations such as The Eyecare Trust, as well as spearheading consumer awareness campaigns, including Specsavers ongoing Drive Safe initiative to encourage drivers to have their eyes tested more regularly.

But it is for her tireless work for the local community that Mary has also earned this award.

In Guernsey, she is a director of the Guernsey Training Agency, helping to promote training and development in local business, a director of the Women's Refuge and President of Age Concern. She is also a governor of the Ladies College.

Without Mary's support and patronage, many local events would not be as much appreciated as they are in the island. She funds the Specavers Liberation Tea Dance, which is enjoyed by nearly 800 pensioners every year.

Specsavers also sponsors the biannual Guernsey Youth Games, which hundreds of island youngsters take part in. She also funded the sensory garden at Le Rondin School and was instrumental in helping make the annual Race for Life to the huge success it is today, sponsoring it for many years locally before Tesco took over.

As chairman of the Specsavers Children's Charitable Foundation, she also helps fund many other causes in the island which are never publicly acknowledged.

In recognition of her work for charity, Mary was awarded the Rotary International Community and Vocational Service Award in November 2004.

A fully qualified optometrist, Mary was made a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers in 2002 and is an honorary fellow of Cardiff University, where she and Doug met and gained their optometry degrees.

Last year, Mary was awarded the inaugural NatWest Spirit of Everywoman Award for her inspirational example to other women entrepreneurs. This week she was invited to replace Lady de Rothschild as Everywoman's patron and will speak at their annual conference in London in November.

Mary is a keen singer and a member of the Guernsey Churches Festival Chorus.

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