Refund boost for FMO members

The board of the Federation of Manufacturing Opticians (FMO) has agreed a 50 or 100 per cent refund of all of its members’ 2020 subscriptions.

In a statement, the FMO said: “With the recent sale of Optrafair to Media 10, combined with the Covid-19 pandemic, the FMO board feel it is time to give back to its members, and so have confirmed that all members will be eligible for a refund of at least half of their 2020 subscription.

“The refund has been deliberately geared to favour the smaller and potentially more vulnerable members and is part of the new strategy of bringing new and exciting benefits to the membership.”

FMO chair, Stuart Burn

FMO chair, Stuart Burn, said: “I am absolutely delighted we have made this announcement. It’s an incredibly challenging time for all optical suppliers in the UK – and for the FMO to provide direct and tangible support to our loyal members is a measure the progress the FMO has made in recent times.

“A trade organisation such as ours should be there to support members in times of need and I can think of no better way than this. The board are now focused on creating new and rewarding benefits that will help grow membership and bring a fresh sense of community and support for UK optical suppliers.”

Andy Hepworth, FMO vice chair, added: “Given the enormous impact the current coronavirus pandemic has had upon all our lives, it is nice to know the FMO has recognised this and put in place a tangible reimbursement to all members. I am personally looking forward to supporting the FMO in delivering tangible benefits our members can enjoy.”

All FMO members have been contacted to start the reimbursement process. Any members should email mmacritchie@fmo.co.uk with any queries.