RNIB celebrates 75th anniversary of Sooty the bear

A collection box featuring Sooty the hand-puppet has been created by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) on the bear’s 75th anniversary.

Sooty has featured on the charity’s collection boxes for over 50 years and the new design includes brighter colours and a QR code to allow for cashless donations.

Richard Cadell, the actor and screenwriter who is best known for being the in-vision presenter and the hand of puppet Sooty, said: ‘Sooty is a lifelong friend of RNIB and continues to raise vital funds every year to support blind and partially sighted people. Sooty and I are thrilled to see the next generation of Sooty Boxes continue the journey of raising awareness of such a worthy cause.’