About the Central (LOC) Fund

The Central (LOC) Fund is an Investor in Optometry

The Central (LOC) Fund collects money by voluntary levy and donations from optometrists and LOCs. It distributes this in the form of grants to organisations and individual applicants for issues and projects that will be of benefit to the whole profession.

Ruth Cuthbert

North West
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Ruth qualified as an optometrist in 1978 and has worked in a variety of both private and... More information

Ruth qualified as an optometrist in 1978 and has worked in a variety of both private and multiple practices. This has enabled her to experience working in all sectors of optometry.

She became involved with the LOC in 2004 and became an Administrator of the Central Fund in 2007. On the LOC she takes a special interest in Low Vision and Glaucoma.

She believes that the Central Fund serves a useful purpose in funding research and other projects that benefit the whole of optometry. She would encourage all who can, to support the Central Fund in its work.

In addition to being an Administrator of the Central Fund, She also serves as an AOP Councillor, Managing Trustee of the Benevolent Fund and Chairman of the Lancashire Optical Society. Outside of optometry, she is the proud granny of two wonderful grandchildren. She also takes an active role in her local church.

Michael Shinn

West, Wales, South West
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Michael qualified in 1961 and initially worked in the Hospital Eye Service at Coventry,... More information

Michael qualified in 1961 and initially worked in the Hospital Eye Service at Coventry, then as a self-employed optometrist in an independent practice, at first working alongside his father, and then employing two other optometrists until the present. He qualified as a Contact Lens Practitioner in 1968.

Michael is a member of his local LOC and has served as both Treasurer and Chairman. He was an inaugural member of the Shropshire Optical Society and has been involved in the organisation of its Annual Conference for the last 25 years, both as a committee member and as Chairman.

Michael became an Administrator of the Central Fund in 1985 and has gained a lot of experience of how the Central Fund works, especially with regard to its relationship with other organisations within the profession.

Michael lives in Shropshire with his wife (who is an Orthoptist) and has a son and three stepchildren.

Roy Brackley

Secretary & Treasurer
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Roy began working life as a computer programmer with Marconi (the days of air-conditioned... More information

Roy began working life as a computer programmer with Marconi (the days of air-conditioned computer rooms, 15 inch hard discs with 6 to a platen, anti-static maps and paper tape and card as the input medium!)

He qualified as an optometrist in 1980 and practiced in the Essex area all his professional life

He joined the Local Optical Committee when his boss was the treasurer and elected to Central Fund as Administrator for the Eastern region in 1995 and became the Fund Treasurer in 2002.

At a sad meeting in February 2007, we found the long-standing secretary to the Fund, Richard Highton had died that day. Roy was asked to deal with any immediate issues and then to take over the role of Secretary. Later in 2007, Kishor Bardolia was elected as Administrator for the eastern region in Roy's place whilst he continued as administrative and financial support to the Fund and its Administrators.

Susan Bennett

North East
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Susan qualified as an optometrist in 1972. She has spent her career in independent... More information

Susan qualified as an optometrist in 1972. She has spent her career in independent practice, initially as an employee in The Potteries but, for more than twenty years, running her own two practices in the North East. She gained the DCLP in 1984.

Her first experience of committee work was with the North Midland Optical Society of which she became vice-chairman. After moving to Durham in 1986 she was elected to the North East Contact Lens Society committee and, over the years, served as secretary, treasurer and chairman. She also joined Durham and Sunderland LOCs and was treasurer of the latter for many years. Practicing largely on her own, she valued this involvement as a means of meeting colleagues and having a forum for discussion. She enjoyed the challenge of trying to influence local affairs and twice hosted PCT visits to her practice. She retired after selling her second practice in December 2009.

Kishor Bardolia

East, South
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Kishor qualified as an Optometrist in 1979, a year later he opened an Independent practice... More information

Kishor qualified as an Optometrist in 1979, a year later he opened an Independent practice based in Leicester. Having become interested in local optical issues, this led him to be elected as a committee member of the Leicestershire and Rutland LOC, becoming its Honorary Treasurer a year later. Representing his LOC as a delegate attending the annual National Optometric Conferences he became interested in national issues. This lead to him to being elected as an AOP councillor serving on the Professional Services Committee.

Having always contributed to the Central (LOC) Fund, he became interested in helping the profession, and was appointed as an administrator for the fund three years ago.

Other interests include skiing, hill walking and following the football, cricket and rugby teams in Leicester.

Keith Chapple

South East
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Keith qualified in 1971 with SMC, & a few months later with BOA. His first few years of... More information

Keith qualified in 1971 with SMC, & a few months later with BOA. His first few years of work were spent in South Wales, but in 1975 he moved to Lewes in East Sussex, and has been practising there as a sole practitioner ever since. He was chairman of the local (Brighton) AOP for 10 years, until it was wound up due to lack of support. He was responsible for bringing back to life both East and West Sussex LOC's when the principle of shared care was first mooted, and is still a committee member of both. He has been an administrator of the Central (LOC) Fund for 12 years, and its chairman for two. He is also a member of the board of LOCSU.

He says he has little time for hobbies, but enjoys flying remote control planes and also has a passion for cars, being the proud possessor of a 1956 long nose D-Type replica, which he finished building in 1997.