Bootle opticians celebrates 25 years of service with brand new store

It was an emotional day for store director Sara Taylor and optical director Anne Parker, who were both teary-eyed as the cut ribbon fell – with loud cheers coming from on-lookers and the excited Specsavers team.

Sara has worked at the store since its initial opening in 1999 where she started as a trainee optical assistant straight out of school. Now, Sara is leading her experienced team to a bright future with a brand-new store in the heart of the town.

Sara says: ‘Bootle means a lot to me personally. I’ve grown up here and I still live in the area. I really care about this town and all the people in it, so we want to do the best for the residents.

‘Bootle is one of the most deprived areas of Merseyside and I know how important it is to really serve this community and provide the best care we can. We’re the only store in the region to offer blood pressure and heart rate checks in store, because we want to take care of our customers as best we can.’

The store is just steps away from its previous location in the Strand Shopping Centre, with the move in part due to the ongoing £20 million regeneration of the town centre by Sefton Council. The investment includes the purchasing of the shopping centre back in 2017, with aims to turn it into a revitalised hub for shopping, leisure, education, and health facilities.

With previously only four testing rooms, the new location provides the opticians a further three, as well as a dedicated audiology room to better serve its customers. The store is also looking to hire more staff and will be using the local Jobcentre to fill the positions.

Sara continues, ‘Specsavers Bootle has been a part of this community since February 1999 and I’m proud to have been here since the initial opening. The team has done an excellent job in our 25 years, but we reached capacity at our previous location and needed more room to grow.

‘We need also need more staff now we’re in a larger location, and we’re hoping to use the local jobcentre to help us find the right people.’

The ribbon was cut by Zoe Bear, the mascot for Liverpool children’s hospice Zoe’s Place, the store’s chosen charity for the year.

Lily Brazier, a spokesperson for Zoe’s Place, said: ‘We are absolutely delighted to celebrate the grand reopening of Specsavers Bootle and to join in the festivities on this special day.

‘Seeing local businesses like Specsavers step up their commitment to the community is truly inspiring. Together, the Bootle and Crosby stores have already raised an incredible £1,500 for our hospice, and it’s fantastic to see donations continuing during today’s event.

‘This generosity means so much to our team, especially as we recently secured the future of Zoe’s Place and laid plans for a brand-new hospice to care for our precious children and their families for years to come.

‘Thank you, Specsavers, for your incredible support and for championing the vital work we do at Zoe’s Place. Together, we can make a real difference.’

For more information or to book a sight test, call Specsavers Bootle on tel: 0151 933 7090 or visit them at their new location of 65 Parkside, Bootle, SFT, L20 4XX.

Specsavers also offers a Home Visits service for those unable to visit one of its 1,000 locally owned stores.