The Big Give Christmas Challenge has officially started! Donate now until Tuesday 4th December to have your donation DOUBLED and help us continue running our social and activity clubs throughout 2019.
Watch our video explaining how the Big Give Christmas Challenge and your donation can help us.
We are aiming to make the lives of our members happier this Christmas by continuing to provide the vital 25 social and activity clubs across the county. The clubs provide over 450 blind and partially sighted people with much needed friendships and peer support to relieve isolation and prevent loneliness.
Almost two-thirds of people registered blind or partially-sighted never or rarely go out, causing loneliness and depression. Our social clubs have a huge impact upon the lives of the people who use them, promoting independence, well being and an active lifestyle, while significantly reducing loneliness and depression. 4/5 of the charities social club members agree that they feel less isolated as a result of attending the social clubs.
Jess, a visually impaired member from the charities’ Poole Lighthouse group said “Dorset Blind Association’s Poole Lighthouse club has helped me talk about my sight loss, it is nice to be around people who experience similar things and to make a lot of friends.”
We have been selected to take part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge, the UK’s largest online match funding scheme, once again this year to try and raise the £15,000 required to fund the social clubs throughout 2019. We hope to achieve this through public donations, that will be DOUBLED during the week of the 27th November to 4th December as part of the Big Give Christmas Challenge 2018.
Gareth Owens, Community and Corporate Fundraiser at Dorset Blind Association said:
“This is very much a big thing for the charity and could be massive for our service provision. To put it into context: The Big Give can turn £7,500 in online donations into £15,000 which would run all of our social clubs for an entire year”.
We hope it will be an incentive that your donation could be more than doubled during the week following Giving Tuesday, the 27th November and are seeking more kind individuals and supporters to make an online donation during the week of 27th November – 4th December.
If you would like to help keep Dorset Blind Association’s social clubs running, please donate during the week of the 27th November and make a difference to the lives of blind and partially sighted people across Dorset this Christmas!
Donations can be made here: https://secure.thebiggive.org.uk/project/clubs
Katherine, a local visually impaired member and supporter of Dorset Blind Association, recently pushed herself to the limit and jumped out of a plane to support the local charity! Here at Dorset Blind Association we believe that sight should not mean missing out and actively encourage our members to take part in social clubs and activities.
Katherine was joined by another local supporter of Dorset Blind; Heather, and between them they raised just over £1,300, making a fantastic difference to the lives of partially sighted people in the community.
The Charity Tandem Skydive took place over at Old Sarum, Salisbury, with the Go Skydive team. The minimum fundraising target for participants wishing to do a skydive for Dorset Blind Association is £350 with a £50 registration fee.
Do you fancy ticking a skydive off your bucket list, or to challenge yourself this new year? Why not take on a skydive and fundraise for Dorset Blind Association where the sky is the limit! Minimum fundraising target is £350, but do not be afraid to go beyond this target just as Heather and Katherine did! Two more daredevil supporters, Hannah and Frankie are taking the plunge before Christmas and have already raised a phenomenal £740! If you would like to support them visit their JustGiving Page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/hannahandfrankietaketheplunge
For more information or to sign yourself up for a skydive, contact Gareth on 01202 712864 or at gareth@dorsetblind.org.uk.or visit the website: https://www.goskydive.com/dorset-blind-association/
