BLIND and partially sighted people in Dorset have raised fears about fundraising techniques being used by big national charities.

Members of the Dorset County Association for the Blind (DCAB) are concerned that charities for the blind that use cold calling and mail shots to encourage individuals to make contributions through direct debits could be jeopardising their fundraising efforts.

The association said that some distressed members who received calls requesting donations were worried that the DCAB would no longer provide services to them if they refused to make a contribution, even though the calls came from national organisations based outside Dorset.

Liz Callister, chief executive of DCAB, said that people may also be put off making donations altogether if organisations continue to contact them directly, highlighting the fact that funds may not be kept in the county.

She said: "Many of these companies do not realise the impact that their techniques are having. In addition to the usual begging letter, some are now using agencies that employ people on a commission basis to either stand in the street, call at your door or telephone you and persistently try to get you to agree to contribute.

"Although they are genuine charities, their methods of fundraising could put people off because they may feel that they are being individually targeted. The sales people are often very pushy and there is sometimes confusion about who the charities are and what they do.

"One elderly lady told us she was concerned she would not be able to receive our newsletter as she had to cancel her direct debit.

"She had been making a regular donation of £10 to a company not connected to DCAB, but they called her at home and asked her to increase the amount to £15, which she could not afford."

DCAB said there were several national charities that used these techniques.

Mrs Callister said: "I would urge companies to keep away from direct marketing and stick to more traditional methods, but if people do decide to give donations in this way then they should check out the service."

Deborah Hamlin, of the Royal National Institute for the Blind, said: "In common with many other charities we use a variety of fundraising techniques and of course we are disappointed if any of these have produced misunderstandings."