Scotmid Co-op has announced a new partnership with the Guide Dogs charity, which will support hundreds of people living with sight loss in Scotland.
Over the next year, the member-owned retailer aims to raise £250,000 for Guide Dogs through fundraising activities with colleagues, customers and members.
Guide Dogs provides services for young people and adults affected by a vision impairment, as well as their families. The charity has expanded its services in recent years, helping thousands of people with different needs lead independent lives.
The funds raised by Scotmid will pay for the training of three new habilitation specialists and two guide dog mobility specialists.
Guide Dogs’ habilitation specialists work with children and young people to help them develop life-long orientation and independence skills, and its guide dog mobility specialists train dogs and partner them with people with sight loss.
The charity’s business development manager Kyla McVicar said: “We are really excited to be working with Scotmid and would like to say a huge thank-you for their incredible support, which will enable us to train crucial new staff members and reach even more people affected by sight loss… Scotmid will make a significant and lasting difference for families affected by sight loss across the local communities it has a presence in.”
Scotmid plans to run a range of fundraising and engagement activities in its stores over the next year, including ‘Name the Puppy’ competitions and Kiltwalks to support the partnership.
CEO John Brodie said: “Our core purpose is to serve our communities and to improve people’s everyday lives, so Guide Dogs is an excellent fit for us. Over the coming year, we are looking forward to raising much needed funds and awareness of this very worthy cause. We want to play our part in supporting those who are affected by sight loss, helping them to live more independent and fuller lives.”
