There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to Lana Delambre, one of Xaverian’s team of pastoral tutors. Her day job of successfully navigating students through sixth form and onto their next destinations is supplemented by a life outside that includes Freeman of a Livery company, a guest speaker at conferences on neurodiversity in eyecare, a professional photographer/artist who has exhibited in the UK and abroad and received a nomination for the Freedom of the City of London.
Lana became interested in eyecare through her mother, who is a well-known optician, who regularly took Lana to conferences and events for eyecare professionals. Becoming aware of neurodiversity in a previous role and supporting students to engage and build confidence through creative and enrichment workshops inspired Lana to continue this work at Xaverian. She now offers bespoke intervention to all students who need it.
Lana took this a step further after personal experience of eyecare at an optician’s and said: “No-one was talking about neurodiverse patients and making adjustments for them to have a better experience. Many practising professionals had never been taught about this and there seemed to be a lot of pre-conceptions around the subject. I explored writing an article on the subject for ‘Vision Now’ magazine and, due to the success of this, I was contacted by the clinical editor of ‘Optician’ magazine to write a follow-up article.”
Lana’s articles were aimed at enhancing eyecare professionals’ understanding of neurodiverse patients, including those with conditions such as Anxiety, Tourette’s Syndrome, Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, in a clinical setting. To improve their experiences as patients, Lana provided practical guidance to practitioners on creating positive, supportive environments and addressed potential challenges eyecare professionals may encounter in their roles.
The interest around Lana’s published articles led the Salon International de l’Optique Lunetterie (SILMO) to invite her to speak at the SILMO Academy Conference in Paris in September 2025. SILMO Paris is the international trade show for optics and eyewear professionals to discover innovations, trends, emerging talents and industry expertise. Lana said: “As the biggest optical fair in Europe with over 40,000 visitors from all over the world, it was an ideal opportunity for me to talk about an area I was passionate about and to raise awareness amongst eyecare practitioners. My talk was well received and followed up by another invitation to talk at SILMO Bali recently over the Easter holidays.”
In 2025, Lana was admitted as a Freeman to the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers (WCSM), one of 114 livery companies in existence, and the oldest existing optical body in the world, whose mission since medieval times in 1629 has been to support better vision for all. People become can become part of a Livery company by engaging in charitable endeavours, supporting research and advocacy.
Further to this, Lana has been given the Freedom of the City of London. Several times a year, the Chamberlain invites public figures from the business world, the clergy, the military, education, medicine, law, arts and culture, and sport to take up the ‘Freedom’ in recognition of their contribution to society. Recent recipients include Bryn Terfel, Corporal Joshua Leakey VC, Major Tim Peake, Baroness Lawrence, Professor Stephen Hawking and Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert. Historic Honorary Freemen include Lord Nelson (1797); Edward Jenner (1803); The Duke of Wellington (1815); Florence Nightingale (1908) and Winston Churchill (1943). Lana will join this distinguished group of recipients when she receives her ‘Freedom’ in a private ceremony at London’s historic Guildhall in July, and this truly puts into perspective her achievements in education and continued interest in eyecare.
Lana commented on her experiences by saying: “I never imagined when I began my career that I would be where I am today, and I feel humbled by the acceptances I have received into these prestigious institutions. My experiences working with neurodiverse individuals in the areas of education and eyecare, although relatively unrelated, have highlighted to me that more can always be done to improve people’s experiences in education and eyecare and, ultimately, the quality of their lives and scope of achievements. I feel a sense of wellbeing when I see that my actions have had a positive impact on people’s lives and I hope to continue raising awareness and improving care and support in both areas.”