Our Staff

We would like to introduce you to our Optometrists, Dispensing Opticians, Optical Assistants and Receptionists.

As well as working closely with our Optometrists, they can offer advice on general visual issues. They enjoy advising clients of suitable frame and lens choices for their spectacle prescriptions, considering individual facial features and fashion preferences and while always respectful of individual budgets.

Optometrists

Please see your local practice webpage to see the optometrists who work there. You will also find a small professional biography for each.

Mr Mike Thomason BSc (Hons) MCOptom Mr Mike Thomason BSc (Hons) MCOptom Mike Thomason Graduated with an honours degree in Optometry from City University, London in 1989. He undertook his pre-registration training with Cargills in Folkestone, his home town where he lives with his wife & family. He became a partner in the firm in 1995. He has experience in private practice as well as Hospital contact lens and low vision clinics. He now enjoys applying these skills along with general sight testing to both NHS & Private patients in community optometry. He is able to offer coloured overlay assessments for children with reading difficulties (visual stress sometimes associated with dyslexia). He is also accredited to provide post-surgical cataract patient checks, and has an interest in myopia management with specialised spectacle and contact lenses.	Mr Paul Thompson BSc (Hons) MCOptom Mr Paul Thompson BSc (Hons) MCOptom Paul Thompson studied Optometry in Birmingham, graduating with an honours degree in 1999. Originally from Leeds he undertook his pre-registration training year in Harrogate and from 2000-2001 practised in Trinidad W.I. Prior to moving to Kent in 2008 he practiced in London as an optometrist and low vision practitioner. Paul has worked with Cargills since 2008 and became a partner in 2011. He has a special interest in contact lenses; EyeDream, multifocal and toric lenses, Myopia Management and Visual Stress (difficulty reading due to visual distortion, often associated with dyslexia). He is also still interested in low vision for which he has undergone additional training by the RNIB. Paul is married with two sons and in his free time enjoys cycling, running, swimming & SUP.
Mr Bendre Dalton BSc (Hons) MCOptom FBDO Mr Bendre Dalton BSc (Hons) MCOptom FBDO Bendre Dalton qualified as a Dispensing Optician in South Africa in 1998. He moved to the UK in 2000 and worked as a Dispensing Optician until 2008 when he returned to university to study Optometry. Bendre successfully completed his studies with a First Class Honours degree and since qualifying has worked in Jersey Channel Islands and more recently in East Kent. While in Jersey Bendre carried out specialised contact lens fitting to post corneal graft and keratoconic patients and performed regular coloured overlay assessment. Bendre is particularly interested in myopia control in children, binocular vision anomalies and dry eye management. In his free time he enjoys cycling and dinghy sailing.	Mrs Naomi Stringer BSc (Hons) MSc MCOptom Mrs Naomi Stringer BSc (Hons) MSc MCOptom Naomi Stringer graduated from City University with a First Class Honours degree in Optometry in 2002. She then undertook her pre-registration year at Cargills in Folkestone, under the guidance of Mike Thomason. In 2010, Naomi completed her Masters degree in Clinical Optometry with a dissertation in Dry Eye Management. For the last 18 years she has shared her time between high street independent Optometry practices in Kent and working for the Kent and Medway Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service (The Paula Carr Trust). As well as her specialist interest in diabetes and dry eye, she is also accredited to undertake MECS examinations (Minor Eye Condition Service) and post-cataract examinations. She has worked for the Community Glaucoma Network for 5 years, helping to diagnose and monitor glaucoma patients. Since having two children Naomi has particularly enjoyed paediatric Optometry, including fitting myopia control contact lenses, overlay assessments and prescribing Colorimetry lenses. She became a partner at Cargills in 2021. In her spare time, Naomi loves running and hanging upside down from an aerial hoop!
Dr (Mrs) Cathy Smith BSc (Hons) O.D. MCOptom Dr (Mrs) Cathy Smith BSc (Hons) O.D. MCOptom Cathy Smith graduated from the University in Waterloo, Canada in 1992 with a Doctor of Optometry degree. She practiced in Windsor, Ontario for 9 years and was involved in the full spectrum of Optometry, from laser refractive surgery pre and post op, contact lens care, foreign body removals, comprehensive eye examinations for all ages, etc. She particularly enjoys examining children, contact lenses and eye health. She was involved in screening events for children in Windsor and charity eye screening in Haiti and Nigeria. She enjoys updating her skills and desires to provide the best possible care for all her patients. She moved to England in 2001, started practicing with Cargills in 2002 and is married with 2 boys.	Mr Richard Flynn BSc (Hons) MCOptom Mr Richard Flynn BSc (Hons) MCOptom Richard Flynn began working in optics in 2003 and qualified as a dispensing optician in 2008 after working for a year in Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. Richard then undertook an honours degree in optometry at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland. Having graduated in 2011 he completed his pre-registration year in Maidstone. Richard then returned to the Hospital Eye Service at Canterbury where he currently works three days a week. His specialist interests include paediatric refraction, medical retina, contact lenses and glaucoma in which he has a professional certificate. In 2016, Richard began to work part time at Cargills and hopes to begin training to become an independent prescriber. In his spare time, Richard enjoys playing the trombone and running – but not at the same time!

Dispensing Opticians

Helen McCloskey FBDO started with Cargills as a receptionist in 1988 and qualified as a Dispensing Optician in 1995. She works at both Ashford and Canterbury.

Jacqui Cason FBDO in Folkestone, qualified as a Dispensing Optician 1988 and has worked with Cargills since 2000.

Jackie Jones FBDO in Ashford, qualified as a Dispensing Optician 1981 and has worked with Cargills since 2007.

Nicola Hunt FBDO in Canterbury started as an optical assistant in 1990, she qualified as a Dispensing Optician in 1994.

Derek Griffiths FBDO joined the Hythe team in 2021 and has over 30 years of dispensing experience qualifying in 1990.

Katie Campbell FBDO started with Cargills in 2014 and offers dispensing cover, she also teaches at the ABDO Dispensing College.

Dispensing Assistants

Jackie Barlow, who works between our practices, has been with Cargills since 2000.

Michele Osman works between all our practices and joined the team in 2015.

Receptionists

Denise McInnes in Hythe has worked with Cargills since 2001.

Janet Richards in Folkestone has worked with Cargills since 1994.

Sheila Laing in Canterbury has worked with Cargills since 1980.

Fionnuala Parker joined Cargills in 2016 and worked on Saturday mornings in Ashford, and then an extra 2 days in Hythe from Jan 2019.  She has worked full time in Ashford since August 2019.

Val Wootton worked for many years with us in Hythe and after a career break, she returned to us in 2019.

Hilary Firth joined Cargills in May 2022 and works in Folkestone.

Mr Mike Thomason BSc (Hons) MCOptom

Mike Thomason Graduated with an honours degree in Optometry from City University, London in 1989. He undertook his pre-registration training with Cargills in Folkestone, his home town where he lives with his wife & family. He became a partner in the firm in 1995. He has experience in private practice as well as Hospital contact lens and low vision clinics. He now enjoys applying these skills along with general sight testing to both NHS & Private patients in community optometry. He is able to offer coloured overlay assessments for children with reading difficulties (visual stress sometimes associated with dyslexia). He is also accredited to provide post-surgical cataract patient checks, and has an interest in myopia management with specialised spectacle and contact lenses.

Mr Paul Thompson BSc (Hons) MCOptom

Paul Thompson studied Optometry in Birmingham, graduating with an honours degree in 1999. Originally from Leeds he undertook his pre-registration training year in Harrogate and from 2000-2001 practised in Trinidad W.I. Prior to moving to Kent in 2008 he practiced in London as an optometrist and low vision practitioner. Paul has worked with Cargills since 2008 and became a partner in 2011. He has a special interest in contact lenses; EyeDream, multifocal and toric lenses, Myopia Management and Visual Stress (difficulty reading due to visual distortion, often associated with dyslexia). He is also still interested in low vision for which he has undergone additional training by the RNIB. Paul is married with two sons and in his free time enjoys cycling, running, swimming & SUP.

Mrs Naomi Stringer BSc (Hons) MSc MCOptom

Naomi Stringer graduated from City University with a First Class Honours degree in Optometry in 2002. She then undertook her pre-registration year at Cargills in Folkestone, under the guidance of Mike Thomason. In 2010, Naomi completed her Masters degree in Clinical Optometry with a dissertation in Dry Eye Management. For the last 18 years she has shared her time between high street independent Optometry practices in Kent and working for the Kent and Medway Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service (The Paula Carr Trust). As well as her specialist interest in diabetes and dry eye, she is also accredited to undertake MECS examinations (Minor Eye Condition Service) and post-cataract examinations. She has worked for the Community Glaucoma Network for 5 years, helping to diagnose and monitor glaucoma patients. Since having two children Naomi has particularly enjoyed paediatric Optometry, including fitting myopia control contact lenses, overlay assessments and prescribing Colorimetry lenses. She became a partner at Cargills in 2021. In her spare time, Naomi loves running and hanging upside down from an aerial hoop!

Mr Bendre Dalton BSc (Hons) MCOptom FBDO

Bendre Dalton qualified as a Dispensing Optician in South Africa in 1998. He moved to the UK in 2000 and worked as a Dispensing Optician until 2008 when he returned to university to study Optometry. Bendre successfully completed his studies with a First Class Honours degree and since qualifying has worked in Jersey Channel Islands and more recently in East Kent. While in Jersey Bendre carried out specialised contact lens fitting to post corneal graft and keratoconic patients and performed regular coloured overlay assessment. Bendre is particularly interested in myopia control in children, binocular vision anomalies and dry eye management. In his free time he enjoys cycling and dinghy sailing.

Dr (Mrs) Cathy Smith BSc (Hons) O.D. MCOptom

Cathy Smith graduated from the University in Waterloo, Canada in 1992 with a Doctor of Optometry degree. She practiced in Windsor, Ontario for 9 years and was involved in the full spectrum of Optometry, from laser refractive surgery pre and post op, contact lens care, foreign body removals, comprehensive eye examinations for all ages, etc. She particularly enjoys examining children, contact lenses and eye health. She was involved in screening events for children in Windsor and charity eye screening in Haiti and Nigeria. She enjoys updating her skills and desires to provide the best possible care for all her patients. She moved to England in 2001, started practicing with Cargills in 2002 and is married with 2 boys.

Mr Richard Flynn BSc (Hons) MCOptom

Richard Flynn began working in optics in 2003 and qualified as a dispensing optician in 2008 after working for a year in Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. Richard then undertook an honours degree in optometry at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland. Having graduated in 2011 he completed his pre-registration year in Maidstone. Richard then returned to the Hospital Eye Service at Canterbury where he currently works three days a week. His specialist interests include paediatric refraction, medical retina, contact lenses and glaucoma in which he has a professional certificate. In 2016, Richard began to work part time at Cargills and hopes to begin training to become an independent prescriber. In his spare time, Richard enjoys playing the trombone and running – but not at the same time!