AN optician from Bradford has received acclaim for his tireless work throughout the pandemic, which includes at one stage fixing glasses from the back of his car.

During the various lockdowns, Graham Bennett, a dispensing optician at Kenyon Opticians in Bingley, kept his business open to take the pressure off GP’s, pharmacies and hospital eye clinics. If he was not in the clinic ensuring emergency patients were seen face-to-face, he was delivering and repairing spectacles from his car, setting up a sterile camping table to ensure his elderly and vulnerable patients were attended to.

Customers have been grateful for Graham’s work and for brightening their day with his vast trainer collection.

After being nominated by wife and business partner Fay, the 51-year-old scooped number one spot and the £1,000 prize money in a nationwide competition.

Clinell Cleaning Heroes, launched by GAMA Healthcare, invited people to nominate friends, family or colleagues who have been on the frontline over the past year, helping to suppress the spread of the virus through cleaning. Entries were submitted from across the country, and Graham’s winning nomination was chosen by a panel of expert judges.

Graham said: “It is a nice thing to have won but I do like to think I am doing my job with a bit of Postman Pat’s work thrown in! I did what I know was the right thing to do for my patients. They had always come to see me if they had eye problems or needed to pick up contact lenses but during lockdown I knew, it was my turn to go to them. One customer works in the NHS and broke his glasses, I fixed them and he told me he would not be able to do his job without them. Another patient suggested I set up a stall in his local high street to help people. Eyecare is so important and without my team we would not have been able to do this work and I would not have been able to get lenses out to our patients. It was also a way to keep everyone going, the elderly patients in particular would often comment on my trainers too. I thought I would wear them instead of the usual business attire to brighten people’s day. I don’t have a bucket list, I have a trainer list!”

Fay added: “Not only has Graham ensured the safety of our staff, he has put the needs and safety of the local community at the top of his priorities. He deserves recognition for everything he's done for our community and he's the last person to expect it. He quietly gets on with his job like he's always done but with added PPE. He jokes that the best skill he's learnt in lockdown is to tie a lovely bow on his plastic apron.”

Graham will treat his staff to something nice and buy a new pair of brightly-coloured trainers with his winnings.

Karen Wares, Associate Clinical Director at GAMA Healthcare, said: “Graham was a well-deserved winner. The dedication he showed to his customers eye care over the last year is extraordinary, particularly in light of all the challenges faced by opticians. We were delighted to hear that he was so passionate about implementing infection prevention control practices to help keep everyone safe and to ensure essential eye care was not forgotten. Good hand hygiene and surface hygiene are some of the most effective ways to help stop the spread of infection and protect those around us and Graham has excelled in customer safety. We are proud to recognise those who have become Cleaning Heroes in the fight against COVID-19.”