A WOMEN’S organisation in Yate has awarded £3,000 to a blindness charity after organising a series of events over the past year.

Members of Yate and District Townswomen’s Guild chose Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) Fighting Blindness as their charity of choice for 2016-17, and raised funds for the organisation by hosting beetle drives, sales tables, a fashion show and Christmas Craft Stalls.

Rhona Cowie, Chairman of Yate and District Townswomen's Guild, said: "I would like to extend my thanks to all of the ladies of the guild for their hardwork and effort.

"My predecessor Christina Shinton did an amazing job organising the fashion show, which was attended by around 160 people and raised most of the money."

"Models wearing clothing from M&CO and Next also made the fashion show a very successful evening."

Rhona and Christina presented representatives from RP Fighting Blindness with a £3,000 cheque at the Townswomen's monthly meeting in April.

RP Fighting Blindness is a charity dedicated to finding a treatment for a group of eye conditions (retinitis pigmentosa) that affect vision and can ultimately lead to blindness.

There is currently no cure for RP, which affects around 25,000 people in the UK, but the charity provides support and guidance for those who have been diagnosed.

Ian Watson, Fundraising Manager at RP Fighting Blindness, said: “We were delighted to hear of the support from Yate and District Townswomen’s Guild.

“Community support of this type is so important for our charity; not only does it raise much-needed funds, but spreads the word of our work too, raising awareness of inherited retinal dystrophies with the general public.”

The Townswomen's Guild have now announced that their next charity will be Dogs for Good, an organisation that trains assistance dogs for people with physical disabilities and children with autism.

They will be hosting a luncheon on Wednesday, May 31 at 12.30pm at the Masonic Hall in order to raise funds for the charity. 

Those wishing to book a ticket should contact Rhona on 01454 881532.

She added: “New members are always welcome to join us. We are a friendly group who enjoy meeting, having a chat and give amazing support to various charities.”