Thirsk fundraiser raises half a million pounds for RNIB with the help of Sooty
A charity volunteer has raised more than half a million pounds for the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) by placing Sooty collection boxes across Yorkshire for nearly 20 years.
Gerry Allen, 70 from Thirsk, became an RNIB Sooty Box Collector after retiring from the police in 2000. Since then, he has built up a huge network of places to host his Sooty collection boxes, collecting donations from around 1,000 pubs and shops covering the length and breadth of Yorkshire.
Gerry said: “When I retired, I registered with my local volunteer bureau to keep myself occupied. I was contacted by RNIB who asked if I could become a Sooty box collector and I said I’d be delighted to do it….
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