Our Vision for a Brighter Future

Safety Eyewear Sales Helping Others See

At Blackwoods, we’re committed to engaging with our local First Nations communities and organisations across the country, to make a meaningful difference in their lives and build a better Australia for all Australians.

Blackwoods and our team continue to do our part in supporting the goals of the Wesfarmers’ Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP - Elevate level) and contribute to helping build a more reconciled Australia. We do this by increasing employment and career opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander people and partnering with Indigenous Australian owned and led suppliers and contractors, or those with a reconciliation and community engagement focus. But before there was even a RAP, we were (and still are) supporting The Fred Hollows Foundation.

Fred Hollows was an ophthalmologist and humanitarian who was appalled at the conditions in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians were living in back in the ‘60s.

“We cannot go on as a modern country living with this scandalous situation of Aboriginal living conditions in Central Australia.” - Fred Hollows

Fred dedicated himself to the task of reducing the number of people that were going needlessly blind.

In Australia, there is an obvious gap between the eye health of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, where Indigenous Australians are three times more likely to be blind. Yet 94% of vision loss for Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander people is preventable.

For over 10 years, we’ve been donating to The Fred Hollows Foundation’s Indigenous Australia Program through the sale of PROSAFE eye protection, accessories, and Armadillo products. In fact, several of our team also personally contribute via our workplace giving program. We’re proud that our contribution can go towards helping local communities access their right to good health, and to continue to help end avoidable blindness.

“We chose to partner with The Foundation because it’s goals, aspirations and philosophies align with our own culture and vision for our business, and the engagement of communities in which we operate. The Fred Hollows Foundation Indigenous Australia Program has a national footprint and aligns with our national eye safety product and support offering, so that we and our customers can contribute financially alongside our employment, development, and community engagement,” says Barry Hoare, Leader - Indigenous Talent & Development, Blackwoods.

So far, Blackwoods has donated over $2.7 million and with your help, we can keep working to close the gap. In 2021 alone, our partnership with The Foundation contributed to:

• 9,148 people screened
• 1,075 eye operations and treatments
• 1,715 pairs of glasses distributed
• 13 clinical staff trained
• 728 children and community members educated

“We’re extremely thankful for the contributions both our customers and employees have made in supporting this important partnership. We have seen first-hand the great work The Fred Hollows Foundation are doing in remote communities through attending “The Fred Hollows See Australia” program, which is something we’re very proud to have experienced,” says Andrew Bray, CEO Blackwoods.

The Foundation is now celebrating 30 years of working to provide culturally sensitive eye care, education, and screening in our local communities.

Every PROSAFE eye protection, accessories, and Armadillo products sold in Australia contributes to helping First Nations Australians retain their vision for a brighter future. So, if you want to help too, simply choose PROSAFE.