Guide Dogs calling on support of East Renfrewshire residents

The charity is committed to supporting people with sight loss get on with their lives and to help combat feelings of loneliness and isolation.

In East Renfrewshire there are approximately 3,550 people living with sight loss and 7 working Guide Dog partnerships.

It costs just under £60,000 to breed, train and support a Guide Dog from birth to retirement. This covers training, vet bills, insurance, food, equipment and ongoing support during the dog’s working life. Guide Dogs relies overwhelmingly on donations and public support to help it continue to provide its life changing services, and these funds are even more critical now.

Southside Fundraising Group is a group of local volunteers, many of whom are also boarders or puppy walkers, and is active in East Renfrewshire and the southside of Glasgow. You may have seen it’s stall at the Neilston Show, Giffnock Classic Car Show, or the Clarkston and Barrhead Christmas events, collecting in Sliverburn Shopping Centre, or you may have attended their Afternoon Tea Party last year at Eaglesham. People attending these events and others over the past few years have been very generous and the fundraising volunteers have enjoyed meeting and engaging with the local community.

But this year everything has changed. Due to Covid-19 restrictions all face to face fundraising has been put on hold and events cancelled. Like many other charities, Guide Dogs has had to adapt and change the way it fundraises and has held several ‘virtual’ fundraising challenges.

As it cannot be out in public collecting, Southside Fundraising Group has set up an on-line collection.

Fiona McDermott, Southside Fundraising Group, said: “We are missing seeing everyone at our regular collections and events and can’t wait to be out in the community as soon as it is safe to do so. We want to extend our thanks to everyone working hard to support the people of East Renfrewshire during this difficult time and we hope to see you all soon.

“We appreciate that times are difficult right now, but for people with sight loss, social isolation can be their every day, and Guide Dogs desperately needs to raise funds to continue its services.

Those wishing to contribute to our virtual collection can do so here

Every pound raised by Southside Fundraising Group will help Guide Dogs continue to provide its life-changing services to help people with sight loss.

Thank you.”

If you want to find out more about Guide Dogs and the work they do visit their website