November 6th 2023 – Vision Ireland, the new name for NCBI, can today announce that the second, brand-new Vision Ireland charity store has launched in Ballinasloe with our very own acoustic concert.
The team in store, which is located on St Micheals Square, Townparks, celebrated with a sustainable display before we cut the ribbon to officially open our doors to dozens of supporters who turned out for the store opening on the day. Local acoustic singer Ciara Lawless serenaded our supporters with a medley of incredible songs and the feedback about her performance was hugely positive. Special guests on the day also included local service users and Senator Aisling Dolan. The breadth of local support for our Vision Ireland store shows just how much Vision Ireland as an organisation means to the community in Ballinasloe.
Our new Vision Ireland store will boast the most modern look of any store in the charity or mainstream retail industries in Ireland. The store is packed with incredible pre-loved pieces and that are available for anyone who drops in!
This store launches on the day that NCBI also changed its name to Vision Ireland. This is a change borne out of a necessity for Vision Ireland to help members of the public and medical professionals to understand that the organisation provides services and supports for people who live with all manner of vision impairment. We will continue to support our service users who are blind or vision impaired in the same ways we always have, but the Vision Ireland name will allow us to reach more people than ever before.
Head of Vision Ireland Retail, Beverley Scallan said: “What a day we’ve had in Ballinasloe, where we had brilliant support from our very special guests and the local community as a whole. Our vision for this store is in line with our sustainable chain of stores around Ireland which will all change over from NCBI to Vision Ireland in the coming months. We arrive into Ballinasloe with a promise to support this community as a whole, with a special focus on the people who are blind or vision impaired within it. Our stores are the lifeblood of our fundraising efforts to support Vision Ireland services, so any help we can get from members of the public is more than appreciated.”
Carmel McDonnell, Area Manager for Vision Ireland Ballinasloe, added: “Vision Ireland Retail has been innovating for a while now and with the help of the wonderful Ciara Lawless we have been able to have our first ever in-store concert to celebrate our arrival into Ballinasloe. Local service users and Senator Dolan are incredible community ambassadors to have with us here today and their peers within the community have been nothing short of amazing in their support. It will take a while to come down from the high of opening this store, but that won’t stop us from getting to work to make sure that we continue to provide the people of Ballinasloe with the best pre-loved and Vintage clothing on the market in Ireland. Don’t forget to drop in, donate or register to volunteer. We want Vision Ireland Ballinasloe to be a real community space.
Although the name of NCBI is changing to Vision Ireland, along with the look of our stores, a shopper’s ability to bag a bargain or find a hidden gem certainly will not. Our pre-loved clothes and accessories in Ballinasloe and around Ireland provide the perfect alternative to fast fashion. Donations will also be gratefully accepted at Ballinasloe or any other Vision Ireland shop around Ireland.
Vision Ireland, which is new name for NCBI, operates the second largest chain of shops in Ireland and these stores plays an integral part in the charity’s overall fundraising efforts, allowing the national sight loss agency to provide vital, life-changing services to over 8,000 people each year.