A donation from a York firm is helping to support people living with sight loss in the city.
The £300 donation to the York Blind and Partially Sighted Society (YBPSS) comes from PR and communications agency The Partners Group, which is continuing its thirty-year-long tradition of supporting a local charity at Christmas.
Partners director Karen Tinkler gave the donation to YBPSS CEO Karen Froggatt at the charity’s Equipment and Information Centre on Rougier Street this week.
Established in 1979, YBPSS helps local people to regain confidence and independence following sight loss. Alongside the city centre Equipment and Information Centre, the charity offers a range of support including sight support services in York, Scarborough and Bridlington hospitals, a free counselling service, home visits, peer support, a variety of leisure and learning activities and advice on accessible technology.
Karen Froggatt, who joined the charity as CEO in June, says: “We are extremely grateful to Karen and her team for this kind donation. Our vision is of a world where everyone can live well with sight loss and this money will help us to support more local people to make confident choices about all aspects of their lives. £300 will help us purchase more equipment to enable people to try out various items so they can make the right choices about what will assist them to live independently.”
The Partners Group is no stranger to charity fundraising. Earlier this year, to mark the company’s 30th anniversary, the team donated 30 hours to run a PR campaign for York Mind that saw more than 100 people walk the city walls and smash the charity’s £1000 fundraising target as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.
The firm has consistently supported a variety of local charities throughout its 30-year history in the city, including York Foodbank, The Special Care Baby Unit at York Hospital, York Against Cancer, Home Start York, Woodlands Resource and Respite Care Centre and SASH. In 2016, the company was shortlisted in The Press Business Awards as socially responsible business of the year, and is a member of employee-volunteering charity York Cares.
Partners Group director Karen Tinkler has recently joined the York Blind and Partially Sighted Society as a volunteer to help the team with PR and marketing. She says:
“As well as giving our time over the course of this year, we were keen to round off our anniversary year with a Christmas donation that would help make a difference to people here in York. I’ve got to know the YBPSS team well in recent months, and we’re very happy to support the superb work they are doing to help people who are living with sight loss.”
The Partners Group employs eight people at its office on The Mount and provides publicity services and support to a range of local and national businesses.
