|
|
(Home) (Advice and Information) (Background) (Computing) (Fundraising) (How to Contact Us) [ Aims ] [ How can you help? ] [ Fundraising Events ] [ Donations ] The registered charity, Sight Concern Bedfordshire, is a "Service Provider"; it provides services for which it needs funds to cover day-to-day operating
costs. Personal donations provide a limited, but welcome, income and we benefit from an occasional legacy. We also strive to obtain funding from a range of other Trusts. For someone with healthy eyes, any sight loss or deficiency does not seem so debilitating as many other well-publicised conditions. Nonetheless, it is very real for our clients, who rely on Sight Concern Bedfordshire to reduce isolation, loneliness and a variety of services, which are outside the scope of the local authorities. A high proportion of our clients are elderly, living entirely alone, often in poor circumstances and without relatives or friends, on whom they can rely for company. For our services to run at their present levels, we need a steady and reliable
flow of funds. For this, Sight Concern Bedfordshire can no longer rely on only
a few sources of funding to keep going, especially those from local authorities,
who are not able to keep pace with the genuine needs of so many different groups
of people. Our major aim is to develop our "flagship" service, which is the Advice and Information Service. This means recruiting and training more volunteers. For this we need to provide "Training Aids", such as 'simulation spectacles' and a model of the eye, to show our volunteers and carers what different eye conditions are like and what causes them. To make information folders and boxes of tapes, describing all the different
services we offer, to give out to newly registered blind and partially sighted
people. How can you help?Raise money for us. If you work for a company, find out if they operate a 'matching' scheme, as do such national companies like the Woolwich and the Halifax Building Societies, where if an employee raises some funds for charity, they will match them!Find out if your company operates a "Give As you Earn Scheme" for its staff. If they do, then we are able to claim back your income tax on the donation and the donation is net of tax to you. In effect, donating £1 to Sight Concern Bedfordshire costs you 78p and benefits us by making your donation worth £1.28. For Companies, sponsors are always welcome for our quarterly Newsletter (News and Views), which goes to 2,700 people in Large Print, Braille and on Audiotape. We need leaflets printed, of high quality, but necessarily not glossy, to try to reach some of the thousands of people in Bedfordshire and Luton who need our services, but don't know where to go for help. We need companies to sponsor our advice and information service which explains to people what help is available, helps them complete the three volume benefits booklet, discuss their eye condition and demonstrate the simple but useful equipment which is readily available to make their day to day living easier. Sight Concern Bedfordshire has also begun to participate in "The Great Weather Lottery". This is a countrywide lottery, run by professional organisers, supported by many other Charities, Schools and Associations and runs on a daily basis, Monday to Friday. Playing costs only £1 pound/line/week. The top prize is £10,000 per day, with lesser prizes of £200, £20 and £2 daily. Help Sight Concern Bedfordshire positively - contact either of our offices for an application form. Why not become an agent for the Sight Concern Weather Lottery and enjoy all the benefits that that can bring? One way or another, Sight Concern Bedfordshire needs your financial help. If you cannot help in this way, why not consider being a volunteer for Sight Concern Bedfordshire? Fundraising EventsSight Concern Bedfordshire organises some fundraising events throughout the year. Further information is available from: Sight Concern Bedfordshire Making DonationsThere are several ways through which you can help Sight Concern Bedfordshire on a regular basis: Please ask at either office for further details. |