Vision Ireland open shop in new Mullingar location

Vision Ireland, the new name for NCBI, opened their new shop on Dominick Street, Mullingar this morning.

The new shop has the most modern look of any store in the charity and it is stocked with pre-loved pieces.

This store launch comes in the month that NCBI changed to Vision Ireland, which they say was borne out of a necessity to help the public and medical professionals to understand that they provide services and supports for people who live with vision impairment.

Tara Healy, Vision Ireland retail area manager, who was at the Mullingar shop this morning, said: “Vision Ireland Retail has been innovating for some time now and today was a wonderful occasion to celebrate our move .

“The Vision Ireland store, and before that NCBI, has always had great support from the people of Mullingar, and it’s a momentous occasion to launch the store today, especially as our local service users and community ambassadors are here with us showing their support.

“It’s also great once again to open our doors to Mullingar and provide the community here with the best pre-loved clothing on the market in Ireland. Don’t forget to drop in, donate or register to volunteer. We want Vision Ireland Mullingar to be a real community space.”

Bernie Whelehan, manager of the shop, said they made the move to have a more accessible location; their new shop is larger and everything is on the same floor. “We have a lot more space, so we have a lot more products, more clothes, and we do furniture now, which we didn’t do before.”

Bernie said it’s easy to donate, including large items, as they have access to the back of the shop. If you have anything to donate, people are welcome to drop in or call the shop number on 087 487 8136. It can be a good idea to send photos of items you want to donate, by WhatsApp to that number, before you call in with them.

There are eight volunteers, two staff and a manager at the Mullingar outlet, including Bridie McCrum, Geraldine Tynan, Bernie Whelehan, Anne Vella, Brian Faulkner, Jacinta Gavigan, Sadie Slevin, Phil Nally and Admire Moto.

Vision Ireland operate the second largest chain of shops in Ireland and they have an integral part in the charity’s fundraising efforts, allowing the national sight loss agency to provide vital, life-changing services to more than 8,000 people each year.