It’s 6pm on a Monday evening, but Specsavers Twickenham isn’t closed. People are making their way inside for free eye tests. Outside, the high street is winding down. Inside, Katarzyna Grabka, retail director at the branch, and her team are setting up an out-of-hours clinic for people experiencing homelessness.

The clinic was organised alongside SPEAR, a local homelessness charity working across South West London. Running it after normal hours was deliberate. People who are experiencing homelessness or in temporary accommodation often feel uncomfortable walking into busy high street shops during the day. The quiet of an evening clinic, with no queue at the till and no other customers, makes a difference.

“People experiencing homelessness can be very reluctant to come in during normal ope

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