Remembering Ian Squire – Mission for Vision
We were saddened to learn of the passing of Ian Squire, killed whilst carrying out missionary work and helping to set up an eye care clinic in Burutu, Nigeria. Ian was Karen Sutton’s optician, and his charity was supported by her Rotary Club… he will be dearly missed.
Ian Squire ran his own opticians in Shepperton, Surrey, and had been founder and chairman of Christian charity Mission for Vision since 2003. He founded the charity to improve the lives of those living in the the poorest regions in the developing world, assembling teams to travel to carry out clinics and provide glasses, medication and cataract operations.
Under the Mission for Vision programme, used glasses collected from customers via the UK practice and various drop-off location are recycled on the missions. It used to amuse him that a farmer in a remote corner of Africa, who lived in complete poverty, could be walking around wearing a pair of Calvin Klein glasses!
Shepperton Aurora Rotary Club, whereby Karen is a member, were inspired by Ian’s work, especially the portable lens cutting machine, designed by Ian himself, and powered by solar panels, enabling them to treat patients in villages without access to electricity. The Club have supported his charity for many years.
Photo: Ian Squire, pictured with the lens cutting machine, funded by the Rotary Club of Shepperton Aurora, at the Kinshasa Clinic, Congo.
In respect of Ian’s family, we will not be making any comments to the press.
