A FASHION Show evening has been organised this Sunday with local charity, The Scottish Centre for Personal Safety, and Saltcoats clothing store, M&Co to raise some much needed funds for the charity’s premises as well as highlighting their work with the blind and visually impaired.

Since The Scottish Centre for Personal Safety (ScotCPS) set up their charity headquarters in the former Barony St. John’s church hall building in Ardrossan, they have been in search of funding ideas to help them renovate and repair the premises.

Local supporters of the charity have volunteered to be models on the day with the star guests being five young people with low or no vision who will be highlighting the fantastic work the charity is doing in keeping blind and visually impaired people safe.

Norma Bailey is registered blind and runs PrioritEyes, a North Ayrshire business that provides specialist rehabilitation and support for people throughout the UK who have low or no vision. Some of Norma’s clients wanted to show their support for ScotCPS and have volunteered to take to the catwalk on Sunday and model some of M&Co’s Spring collection of clothes at the fundraising Fashion Show. These include Rachael Brookes, Ryan Sallens aged 19, Elle McCreadie aged 14 and Katy Orr aged 11 – all of whom are registered blind.

Norma said: “PrioritEyes fully supports the fantastic training Alan and The Scottish Centre for Personal Safety has developed and we believe that every visually impaired person should be given the opportunity to benefit from the safety techniques and confidence building effects that this training offers.”

As well as the Fashion Show, there will be an Easter Basket raffle, Irish Bingo and a Grand Raffle with some top prizes donated from Belhaven Pubs & Restaurants, The Saltcot Wetherspoons, Cassandara’s Café, The Red Squirrel, A. Lothian Butchers and lots more besides.

For the last year, ScotCPS have worked alongside Scottish War Blinded and the Forth Valley Sensory Centre to develop a personal safety course specifically for people with no or limited vision and having PriortiEyes provide the charity with some of the models for their Fashion Show on Sunday will help to raise awareness of their work to a much wider community.

Executive Manager Alan Bell commented: “We have developed many personal courses over the years but we were lucky enough to receive a grant from The Big Lottery’s Investing In Ideas last year to develop a course specifically for registered blind people and I’m delighted to say that this has now been achieved. On Sunday we will have a few of our registered blind supporters coming along to the Fashion Show and we are really hopeful that the local community will come along as well to show their support.”

Tickets are on sale from M&Co in Saltcoats or from Alan on 07900 950599 and cost £4 which not only gets you into the show but also gets you a glass of wine, some shortbread and a huge discount on all M&Co clothing. The doors open for the Show at 4pm this Sunday, April 9 and it’s expected to finish by 6pm with the Grand Raffle being drawn during the show.

For more information, check www.Facebook.com/ScotCPS