Parents battling to secure the future of a lifeline autism charity have released a fundraising calendar.
The project, which has received widespread backing from local businesses, could make as much as £22,500 for Perth Autism Support.
The charity, which offers crucial support to around 650 families, teetered on the brink of closure earlier this year.
Bosses were forced to briefly suspend services in August in the face of a severe funding shortage.
Emergency aid from the Scottish Government, Perth and Kinross Council and NHS Tayside is helping to keep the organisation afloat while negotiations continue to find a permanent solution.
Now a group of parents have rallied together for the calendar project in the hope of safeguarding the charity’s future.
Craig Burnett, who has been involved with the charity for the past two years, came up with the fundraising idea when PAS’s money worries came to light during the summer.
“Because PAS had helped us so much as a family, we wanted to repay their effort in some way,” he said.
Within a matter of weeks, 17 local businesses agreed to pay for the production of 3,000 calendars, which will sell for £7.50 each.
Some of the money raised will go towards buying camera equipment for PAS children, who will then be encouraged to take photographs for the 2019 calendar.
Craig said: “It was all done in a very short space of time and it has been fairly stressful, but we are delighted with the results.”
He said his 12-year-old daughter Katie had received “lifeline” support from PAS. “We were struggling to get help from government organisations, but PAS opened their doors to us straight away.
“To us, PAS has been really important, like one big family. To lose it would be devastating,” he added.
Local photographers Les Mitchell and Clark Hamilton submitted photographs for the Beautiful Perthshire calendar, which goes on sale at PAS’s Market Street base and other local shops.
Craig said: “Thanks to sponsorship from local businesses, we are able to give 100% of the money back to PAS.
“If we were to sell out, that would make £225,000, which would be an incredible amount.”
