The Alexandra Theatre launches campaign to raise money for Midlands & East Guide Dogs whilst The Osmonds: A New Musical plays this week.

• And they call it… Puppy Love campaign aims to raise over £2,500 for Midlands & East Guide Dogs

During the run of The Osmonds: A New Musical at The Alexandra, which plays until Saturday 29 October, the theatre is encouraging audiences to make a donation to their newly launched campaign ‘And they call it…Puppy Love’.

The Osmonds: A New Musical tells the story of the five brothers from Utah who were pushed into the spotlight as children and went on to create smash-hits decade after decade, including the number 1 hit, Puppy Love.

The campaign has been created to support Guide Dogs Midlands & East puppies in training and beyond and the 121-year-old theatre is hoping to raise enough money to Name a Puppy, which would be the start of a Guide Dog puppy’s life-changing journey. 

Every pup named through Name a Puppy will help Guide Dogs to deliver their ambition – a future where every person with sight loss has the confidence and support they need to live the life they choose. Almost two million people in the UK are living with sight loss that has a significant impact on their daily lives. Of those, around 180,000 rarely leave their homes alone and lead lonely, isolated lives. Guide Dogs works for a world where people with sight loss are never left out of life, for a world where being blind or partially sighted is not what defines you. 

Simon Creed, Theatre Director at The Alexandra said:

“One of my close family friends’ has been visually impaired with a guide dog for over 10 years and the positive impact on his life is truly staggering. When my family were offered the opportunity to become volunteer guide dog fosterers we jumped at the chance and it’s great to support and help in this way. It’s a huge pleasure to welcome Guide Dogs Midlands & East to The Alexandra and to support such a fantastic and life changing charity – please show the puppies some love.”

Miles Northwood, Community Fundraising Relationship Manager at Guide Dogs, said:

“We’re incredibly grateful to the team at The Alexandra for raising funds and awareness throughout the run of The Osmonds: A New Musical to support our life-changing services for people living with sight loss. As a guide dog owner, I have personal experience of just what an amazing difference a guide dog can make to someone living with sight loss.  It costs over £55,000 to support a guide dog from birth to retirement and Guide Dogs relies almost entirely on public donations.”

Donations can be made online at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/thealexbham and Guide Dog volunteers will be on hand at The Alex throughout the week to take donations at the beginning of each performance. 

The Osmonds: A New Musical continues to tour the UK until December.