13 | Q3 2020 Eyes on the Prize In 2013, musician Stephen Tighe experienced career-threatening vision problems which high street opticians were unable to correct. Alarmed about the lack of aid he could find, Stephen eventually consulted friend and fellow musician, Sheryl Doe, whose expertise of optometry and understanding of performers’ needs enabled her to help Stephen and save his career. In 2016, the pair went into business and established Allegro Optical, a specialist optician providing bespoke eyecare to musicians and performers worldwide. Since then, Sheryl and her team of opticians have scooped up prizes and accolade, placing Sheryl as a leader of her specialist field. When musician Stephen Tighe encountered career-threatening vision problems in 2013, he turned to his friend and fellow musician Sheryl Doe, who was able to help him where his regular high street opticians were not. Realising there was a need for specialist eyecare for performers and musicians, the pair began Allegro Optical in 2016, a bespoke optician dedicated to providing care to the performance sector. Operating in Meltham, Holmfirth and Greenfield, Saddleworth – the latter strategically placed in the heart of Brass band Country and the home of the Whit Friday contests – Allegro has won numerous awards since the company’s inception. In 2019 alone, these included the National Best New Business Art and Entertainment Business of the Year, FSB Chairman’s Award and more, whilst Sheryl has personally been awarded the Best New Business Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 and Dispensing Optician of the Year 2019. As a leader of her specialist field of Ophthalmic Dispensing, Sheryl and Allegro have invested a great deal of research in specialist eyecare for performers. As a result of their registration with the British Association of Performing Arts Medicine and their work with the Royal College of Music on the Healthy Performers Project, Allegro is now recognised as a world leader in the field of musicians’ and performers’ eye care. With major plans for growth over the next few years, and a vision to be the optician of choice for musicians in Europe by 2022 and worldwide by 2025, one might easily forget that Allegro is a family run operation simply born of passions for music and optometry. However, this passion and combined expertise as players, conductors and optical professionals is what has enabled the company to thrive, giving them the edge over their competitors. Providing custom lenses, frames and contact lenses that are able to extend a customer’s visual parameters, Allegro are now recognising the opportunity to extend into other customer bases that require specialist eyecare, such as dancers and sportspeople, as well as presenters and lecturers. With these opportunities for expansion, the opening of a second practice in January 2019 in Greenfield, and brand promotion created by countless awards and recognition by prominent institutions, Allegro is developing at an exponential rate. Fundamental to this growth however is the staff who exist at the heart of Allegro. While many members of the team are actually related, the whole team is an inclusive family unit that shares the same passions as cofounders, Sheryl and Stephen. A supportive and collaborative environment, many of the team members are encouraged and often financed as they seek to develop their own career paths, earning qualifications for themselves and further prestige for the firm. The unity of this team has rarely been so apparent as when Stephen fell seriously ill in 2017, being hospitalised for nearly three months and out of action within the company for six months. Responsibility over Allegro fell wholly to Sheryl, but every member of the team pulled their weight to ensure the detrimental effects on the business were as minimal as possible. Except for one poorer month in September, business continued to flourish and even develop during Stephen’s absence. It was a true testament to the effectiveness of the Allegro team, and the incredible journey of recovery was rewarded by the FSB Chairman’s Award in May 2019 and a feature in The Times newspaper. More recently, while the outbreak of Covid-19 this year has meant that many companies have been forced to slow down, Allegro has taken the time to consider how they can adapt their business to continue operating safely and effectively. As a result, they have maintained excellent customer service that provides bespoke products to perfectly fulfil a client’s specific requirements, all while following strict safety measures. Having already served over 300 musicians and performers and provided their local community with high quality, professional eyecare with that personal touch for four years, we have no doubt that the best is yet to come for Allegro as it continues its exceptional international expansion. Contact: Sheryl Doe Company: Allegro Optical Web Address: www.allegrooptical.co.uk “As a leader of her specialist field of Ophthalmic Dispensing, Sheryl and Allegro have invested a great deal of research in specialist eyecare for performers.” Jul20458
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