A charity that provides life-changing services for people living with sight loss is back fundraising in the island.

Guide Dogs, a charity which recently celebrated its 90th anniversary, has been providing services to people in the island for decades.

Due to a recent change in legislation it had to briefly pause its fundraising activity and register as a foreign company.

Now that registration is complete, it’s keen to create a fundraising group in the island to help fund its services here.

There are currently six working guide dogs in the Isle of Man, and more people who use a variety of Guide Dogs’ other services.

The charity said fundraising is ‘such an essential tool’ to help Guide Dogs support its service users. It costs around £60,000 to fund a guide dog from when they’re born until the end of their life and it costs £13,000 to support a guide dog from when it is partnered with someone with sight loss to when it retires.

The charity is looking to get people together to form a fundraising group who can offer their time and support to help raise vital funds.

Roles include treasurer, merchandise coordinator, collection box coordinators and fundraisers.

Volunteers don’t need experience, just good communication skills.

Lynne Whittaker, community fundraising relationship manager for Guide Dogs, said: ‘We’re really pleased to be able to restart our fundraising activities here in the Isle of Man. Every penny raised in the island will be spent here, as well as receiving additional funding from the UK.

‘We’re looking for volunteers to help raise the funds, and they will organise collections at events. It’s a really sociable thing to do and you’ll meet lots of new people, whilst making a huge difference to people who live with sight loss.’

To find out more about Guide Dogs’ fundraising in the Isle of Man, get in touch with the charity either via its website www.guidedogs.org.uk or by emailing [email protected]