Sooty Box Collections
Sooty, the loveable bear and national treasure, has been the face of RNIB’s collection boxes for over fifty years. Find out below how you can join our community of amazing volunteer Sooty Box collectors, or request a Sooty Box for your business. Izzy whizzy, let’s get busy!
Become a Sooty Box volunteer
Watch our short video to learn more about our incredible Sooty Box collectors
We need volunteers to collect and bank much-needed donations received through our Sooty Boxes in your local community.
This fun role is completely flexible, can be performed by individuals, pairs or groups, and the time you dedicate is entirely up to you and your commitments. You can give your time as little or as often as you like.
Sooty Box collectors play a vital role in generating much-needed funds and raising our profile in local communities. Last year, volunteers collected over £300,000 from sites across the UK, and to date Sooty Boxes have helped RNIB to raise over £13 million.
How do I become a volunteer?
- Register your interest - fill in your details using the form below so we know where you are based and how we can contact you.
- We'll be in touch - someone from our volunteering team will contact you, usually within 7 days.
- If you provide a contact number, we can have an informal chat to tell you more about the recruitment process and the activity in your area to help you decide if this is right role for you before we process your application.
If you’d like to learn more, fill out our registration form, we’d love to chat to you.
Give a home to a Sooty Box at your business
Hundreds of businesses across the UK have helped raise over £13 million for RNIB since we started collecting Sooty Box donations. Why not join them by requesting your own Sooty Box today?
Hosting a Sooty Box is a great way to support blind and partially sighted people without spending a penny. Our amazing volunteers will maintain the box, regularly emptying and banking donations, meaning your business can help to raise much-needed funds for RNIB without lifting a finger.
Our Sooty boxes collect spare coins, notes, foreign and old currency, and now even feature a QR code that allows supporters to make a cashless donation. By using their mobile phone to scan the code, donors can access a donation page on their device’s browser and choose any amount they would like to donate, as well as registering for Gift Aid.
It's quick and easy to request a box for your premises. Simply fill in the form below and one of our fundraising team will be in touch.
Paul's Story
Our dedicated volunteer, Paul, has been a Sooty Box collector for over 13 years. Along with his guide dog, Stevie, he visits businesses in his local area to collect donations. Here, he shares his experience and offers advice for anybody interested in becoming a volunteer:
"I thoroughly enjoy being a Sooty Box collector as I can do it in my own time and be my own boss. It’s great being able to choose when I collect donations and it’s lovely to get out and meet new people. I am always staggered at the amounts the boxes raise and the generosity of the general public; it’s wonderful to see. If you're thinking of becoming a Sooty volunteer, I would simply say do it. You make such a difference to people with sight loss through the amount you collect each year."
Photo of Paul and Stevie (Paul is wearing a straw trilby and dark glasses, Stevie is his guide dog)
How your support makes a difference
On average, a single Sooty Box can raise anything between £35 to £100 per year. By collecting donations or hosting a Sooty Box you'll be helping us make a huge difference to the lives of people with sight loss.
- £100 in collected donations would produce four Children’s Talking Book radio shows, allowing children with sight loss to enjoy a new story, or a classic favourite.
- £185 in collected donations would allow us to teach a person with sight loss how to use essential tech devices.
- £250 in collected donations would allow someone to attend a Living with Sight Loss course, helping them meet others, rebuild their confidence and receive critical advice and support.
