Large high profile charities are unwittingly creaming off the dollars -- leaving groups like the blind society struggling for cash, its president believes.

Nigel Stewart, Joint-President of the Bermuda Society for the Blind, said the charity is fighting to make ends meet.

For the last couple of months the Society has been unable to afford materials for baskets made by blind people.

Every week, said Mr. Stewart, it has to find ways of funding the payroll -- as well as money for meals for the blind and their medical costs.

"We are really up against the wall,'' said Mr. Stewart. "But we will find a way to carry on.'' He said the Society relied heavily on donations and bequests, but the money was drying up in the 1990s. One reason, he believes, is the success of larger charities in attracting money.

"We do not bear a grudge against the larger charities, but they have been so successful no-one quite realised they were hurting the small guys.

"We seem to be victims of the success of the larger charities and the charity dollar has become diluted,'' added Mr. Stewart.

Yesterday Anthony Aguiar of Harrington Hundreds supermarket heard of the Society's plight and donated a cheque for $1,000 to help buy supplies.

"That just goes to show how generous the people in Bermuda really are,'' said Mr. Stewart.

The Society cares for about 14 mainly elderly blind people who come into Beacon House which has three permanent staff.

They are fed and given jobs, like basket weaving, and have their medical bills taken care of. There are also about ten volunteers who help and lend a hand with fundraising sales.

But Mr. Stewart added that with the trend in the 1990s of man and wife both working the number of volunteers was also falling -- meaning fewer people could help in fundraising efforts so less money was raised.

"In years gone by people would volunteer to help with sales but more and more couples are both working now. We want to have sales events, but we have no-one to man them.

"We depend on sales events for our survival, but we have no-one to man them and people are spending less.'' Mr. Stewart added: "A lot of the people we help are up against it in real life and do not have a penny to rub together. It is demoralising for them when we have to unpick baskets to provide materials to make another basket.

"The banks are being very understanding, but the money that comes in is very little and not as plentiful as it used to be, but we will find a way to carry on.'' AT WORK: Garbre Kristios weaving a basket at Beacon House, home of the financially struggling Bermuda Society for the Blind.