Volunteer Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) In 2004, ABDO announced Vision Aid Overseas as its official Charity of Choice and committed to support their work in a number of ways. Every year, ABDO will award bursaries to successful applicants who are members of ABDO with a £500 donation towards their fundraising total for their overseas assignment. How to apply If you’re a Dispensing Optician and have been selected to join an overseas assignment, you can apply for an ABDO bursary by contacting Sir Anthony Garrett by emailing [email protected] at the Association of British Dispensing Opticians explaining why you would like to apply for the bursary.