Local poets and writers have raised more than £2,500 for a guide dog charity thanks to the sale of a book with a difference.
Aberdeen Writers Circle stalwarts Keith Murray and Elizabeth Reinach even enlisted the help of politician David Blunkett, who wrote a foreword for the collection.
The book, entitled Guiding Lights, has been on sale for the past year, and features short stories and poems on blind dogs.
The creative project has now raised £2,554 for the Guide Dogs For The Blind Association – which relies entirely on public help.
It has also attracted the support of Dame Anne Begg, Labour MP for Aberdeen South.
Dame Anne said she was always delighted to have the opportunity to help highlight issues affecting those who were blind or partially-sighted.
“Having a guide dog can make a huge difference to a person’s life in giving them the confidence to get out and about as well as the companionship that the dog can offer,” she said.
“Guide Dogs receive no government funding which is why fundraising efforts like this are so important. As well as training and providing assistance dogs to people who are blind or partially-sighted, Guide Dogs continuously campaign for the rights of people with a visual impairment.”
There are nearly 4,800 guide dog owners in the UK, with the average working life of the canine being about five-six years.
The lifetime cost of a guide dog from training to retirement is about £50,000.
Mr Blunkett, who is MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough and a former Labour government minister, has been blind since birth.