For as long as I can remember I have supported Guide Dogs UK.  It started when, as a small child, I would put my pocket money pennies in the collecting boxes around town.  Close to where we lived there was a school where people with visual impairments were taught to navigate our world mostly using canes. So there were always reminders of the huge need for more guide dogs.

Fast forward to 2021 and, as a dog owner, I have come to realize just what it takes to train a dog to be well-mannered in terms of the time, effort and, of course, money involved.  Imagine how much more it costs to train a guide dog! 

So starting 1 October 2021, I plan to sketch, paint, doodle (or more likely scribble as I am a very amateur artist), one A5 sized image per day for 90 days to celebrate Guide Dogs' 90th anniversary.   

I will be posting the pictures on instagram @sarahclarke888 #sketchathon_for_guidedogs so you can follow along.

And here's the thing, if you like what you see, and I make you smile, laugh, chuckle, smirk and generally feel happy, you can encourage me by making a donation to Guide Dogs UK!  

And guess what?  If you make a big enough donation, I just might send you one in the mail!   

You can also do you your own sketch post, tag @sarahclarke888 and #sketchathon_for_guidedogs (but don't forget to also make a donation).

So what this all means is you can change a life this October when you support my Guide Dogs 90 Appeal fundraiser! 

The UKs first guide dog partnership qualified in October 1931. Since then, support from people like you has helped Guide Dogs transform the lives of thousands of blind and partially sighted people. The impact of losing your sight is the same now as it was 90 years ago. Its terrifying and its isolating. Without help, people with sight loss are likely to encounter unemployment, depression, loneliness, and financial insecurity. But with your help, they can be who they want to be. Guide Dogs provides a range of life-changing services and are working hard to reach many more people with sight loss. When you make a donation, you will be helping Guide Dogs ensure people living with sight loss across the UK feel less alone, now and for the next 90 years. 

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Sarah

(P.s. the goofy dog in the picture is Misha my Labrador who is unlikely to ever make the grade as a therapy dog).