ABDO awards Life Memberships and Honorary Fellowship
Keith Cavaye and Angela McNamee receive their Life Memberships
At a dinner of the ABDO board and trustees, held in London on 24 July, Association president Clive Marchant presented Life Memberships to Keith Cavaye, Angela McNamee and Alan Paine. Professor Kate Springett received an Honorary Fellowship.
Contact lens optician (CLO), Keith Cavaye, was honoured for his contribution and dedication to the advancement of contact lens practice, not least as a member of the ABDO board, representing the profession on various committees, his involvement in the dispensing theory exams and his support in managing the contact lens practical exams and contact lens examiner training.
Keith told DO Online: “It seems that so many of the things I enjoyed doing for ABDO, such as working on the board, advice and guidelines, various committees and training contact lens examiners, were appreciated by others. Isn’t that having your cake and eating it? Many thanks to all concerned for this great honour.”
Fellow Life Membership recipient, Angela McNamee, was honoured for her contribution and dedication to the Association as a dispensing theory and practical examiner, a member of the contact lens practical examining team, her contribution to the minor eye conditions services project for CLOs and representing the profession on various committees. The board particularly recognised Angela’s contribution to the board and her services as a trustee and chairman of the ABDO College trustees.
Commenting after receiving her awards, Angela said: “When I embarked on my ophthalmic dispensing course as a shy teenager, all those years ago, I could never have imagined the shape and direction that both my working and professional life would take as a result. Through ABDO, I’ve gained highly respected qualifications, treasured friendships, and even a husband. The very special people whom I’ve met through ABDO have given me the confidence and self-belief to achieve so much in my lifetime. I’m truly grateful, and I feel very proud and honoured to be receiving this award.”
The third Life Membership, presented to Alan Paine, recognised the former ABDO College lecturer’s contribution and dedication to optical education, as a teacher and examiner to optical technicians, dispensing and contact lens students and as a dispensing and theory practical examiner, contact lens theory examiner and WCSM theory and practical examiner.
ABDO president, Clive Marchant, presents Alan Paine with Life Membership
Alan said: “The presentation came as a complete surprise to me. I would like to give sincere thanks to the Association for its recognition of my many years teaching and examining ophthalmic dispensing and optical technician students.
“Special mention is due to the late Len Wray and Professor Mo Jalie for the opportunity they gave in appointing me as a lecturer at City College for Further Education back in the 1970s and for the support and encouragement I received from them and all the colleagues I’ve had the pleasure of working with. The many students that I’ve taught over the years, both here and overseas, have continued to give me great joy and it’s been an honour to have been associated with them.”
On presenting Professor Kate Springett, former head of the School of Allied Health Professions at Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU), with an Honorary Fellowship, the president highlighted her work pioneering the foundation degree and degree programmes that were set up in collaboration between CCCU and ABDO College.
Professor Kate Springett receives Honorary Fellowship
Professor Springett, who now works part-time in the CCCU Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, said: “Working with ABDO and ABDO College colleagues over the past 14 years has been an interesting time. As head of CCCU’s School of Allied and Public Health Professions, and working in an effective partnership with ABDO College, we have developed education programmes for dispensing opticians. We achieved flexible access to programmes, a strategic aim for both our organisations, and hopefully beneficial for employers and employees, designed flexible education progression routes for DO students and, with the Honours Bachelors degree route, have given DO students time to explore a practice-driven DO-topic.
“I have found contributing to the DO profession’s education development rewarding, challenging, worthwhile, and have become convinced of the centrality of eyesight to individuals’ health, wellbeing and engagement within their own community. Vision-public health has been a central tenet for ABDO and CCCU DO programmes since inception, and it is great to see current and past students apply this wider, inter-professional approach in their thinking and practice.
“The profession is developing well, and anecdotal information indicates beneficial influence of critical reading of the literature and degree-level clinical reasoning in practice and management. I am delighted and feel honoured to be awarded an Honorary Fellowship by ABDO.”