A DORSET charity is calling upon the public to back its last-minute fundraising push to save ‘life-changing’ support groups for young blind people across Dorset.

Due to a lack of funds the Dorset Blind Association, which operates support groups for blind people of working age around the county including in Weymouth, had to make three of its six support workers redundant.

As a result, the charity may be forced to close some of the groups unless it can reach its £12,000 fundraising target by Friday, June 27.

The Dorset Blind Association launched a social media campaign in a bid to raise cash but the charity is still £3,000 short and is calling on the public to dig deep.

“The total stands at £8,985, which is £3,015 short of the amount needed by June 27 when the club leader’s contract ends,” explained Jaya Da Costa, Dorset Blind’s fundraising manager.

“We have just over a week and we really hope people will help us now, we just need one last push of support from the community to save this club – it would be such a shame to let it go as it is really life-changing for those who attend.”

The charity, which helps 1,000 blind and partially sighted people each month, is urging people to think about what they would miss if they lost their sight and spread the message on social media sites including the hashtag #whatwouldyoumiss Miss Da Casta said: “The members of our young blind club tell us they would really miss the club if it wasn't there, so we are turning that around and asking the community what they would miss if they lost their sight.

“We hope people will take photos or videos representing what they would miss and share them with their entire network.”

Anyone wishing to donate to the charity can do so by visiting its fundrazr page at tiny.cc/wwym or you can donate £5 to the cause by texting “WWYM14 £5” to 70070.

To join the campaign on Twitter tweet @DorsetBlind including the hashtag #whatwouldyoumiss.