Most of us take our senses for granted, including our sight, as we live our lives day to day perhaps rushing here or there. But take a moment, as you look out of the window at the trees, wildlife, other people, walk to the shops, get on the bus - imagine how it must be not to be able to see those things.

Then as you go out and about on your everyday business or socialise, think how different your life would be if you couldn't see, or had partial sight. You might just want to shut yourself away.

Thousands of people of all ages are born with or suffer gradual or sudden sight loss. Guide Dogs provide a life line for them, and I marvel at what guide dogs can do. We know that all dogs are loyal to their owners, but guide dogs are so much more.

Training a guide dog is an incredible skill and, of course, needs a lot of money both during the training and also throughout the time that the dog is looking after and guiding its owner.

I very much hope to play a part in helping Guide Dogs to continue their priceless work and with your support, I think we can all "do our bit". And essential work aside, who doesn't love the dogs?!

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. A world with enough support to make the challenges of sight loss no barrier to fulfilling hopes and dreams.