Meet the team

Natalie Beardsworth,  FBDO, BSc(Hons), MCOptom, MClinOptom
Optometrist

Originally a dispensing optician, Natalie studied optometry at the University of  Wales. After graduation in 2002, she worked as a hospital optometrist in  Nottingham and emigrated to New Zealand in 2004. Since joining Sercombe and Matheson in 2007 she has completed a Master's degree in Clinical Optometry. Her special interests include paediatric optometry and myopia control but she's always keen to answer your general questions  such as what astigmatism is and whether you can lose a contact lens behind your eyeball.When Natalie isn't testing eyes she's enjoying good coffee, reading and going on holiday.

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Richard Ng, BSc (Otago) BOptom (Auckland)
Optometrist

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Madelene Jensen, Dispensing Optician

Ian Bennett, Optical Technician

Ian's first job was working as a technician in a wholesale optical laboratory. Since then he has had a varied working life, including spending time as a cycle courier before returning to optics. Ian is a talented spectacle repairer  - the more challenging the job, the more satisfying he finds it. By way of professional development he's expanding his skills into maintaining lens edging machines and there's a trip to Japan in July 2017 to learn more about that. Ian is a relatively new multifocal spectacle wearer. Ian is into tramping and climbing and is a keen mountain biker. He is a member of the Wellington City Council's volunteer rural fire service. On the home front keeping chooks and gardening are steps on the way to becoming self-sufficient.

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Jill Cameron, Receptionist

Jill has a varied background with experience in MYOB accounting, admin/reception, and aerobics instruction and she's enjoying being involved in eye care. As our practice front-person,  she endeavours to ensure that patients, staff and the paperwork all end up in the right place at the right time.  A  couple of recent trips to Melbourne have sparked an interest in overseas travel and a pacific cruise is next on the list Jill is short-sighted and wears multifocal glasses at work and contact lenses for social events.

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Vanessa Sercombe, Practice Manager

After a brief spell at a secretarial course, Vanessa moved on to teachers' college and trained as an early childhood teacher. 16 years educating and nurturing children, managing staff and running early childhood centres and community creches have given her an abundance of organisational and people skills which she's now applying to Sercombe and Matheson's business. Mildly shortsighted and an enthusiastic wearer of avant-garde glasses, she's delighted to be involved in both frame purchasing and sales. Helping our clients choose frames provides a nice contrast with the many administrative tasks she's involved in. Managing her daughters' touch teams teams and planning the family holidays keep her busy outside work. 

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Rachael Young, Receptionist/ Trainee Dispensing Optician

Always happy to leave the front desk and help our clients choose a frame, Rachael has decided to take on spectacle dispensing professionally. 2017 sees Rachael enrolled in the (mostly) correspondence course to gain qualification as a dispensing optician. Rachael has a wide range of other  work projects including our direct debit programme and our window displays. Rachael wears occupational progressive glasses at work which means she's very comfortable at her computer screen. Outside work, running and child-wrangling keep her in good shape.

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