Member Article

Cash boost for sight loss charity

A charity that provides support to the blind and partially sighted has been gifted £1,000 by a leading developer.

Sunderland and County Durham Royal Society for the Blind received the donation from Persimmon Homes Durham; as part of the builder’s Community Champions scheme.

The charity is currently raising funds to provide a range of activities linked to healthy living as evidence points to stress, isolation and a lack of emotional support, among other factors, as contributors to ill health.

Richard Wood, executive officer for the Sunderland and County Durham Royal Society for the Blind, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have received this donation from Persimmon Homes. The funds will go to the £5,000 already raised to provide a sympathetic befriending service that offers emotional support to the blind and partially sighted community.

“Our target is £10,000 and when reached it will help so many people losing their sight who often shut themselves off from the outside world and become isolated and lonely.”

Christine Cooper, sales and marketing director for Persimmon Homes Durham, said the Community Champions scheme was a way of supporting people across every city, town and village where the company works.

She said: “We are so pleased to hand over this donation to Sunderland and County Durham Royal Society for the Blind and are confident this funding will make a huge difference to the visually impaired and blind people living across the North East.

“We now want to hear from more clubs, groups and good causes as we look to allocate more funding over the next month. All we ask is that they have already worked hard to raise money themselves, and we will then match this effort with funding of up to £1,000.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lee Southen .