The first week of June is #VolunteersWeek, so we wanted to shine a bright light on our wonderful volunteers who support us in our mission to train amazing dogs.

Our fourth volunteer profile is Claire Graham, a member of our Board of Trustees and one of our amazing partnerships. The Board of Trustees are responsible for the overall strategic direction of the charity.

What is your voluntary role at Canine Partners?

My voluntary role at Canine Partners is as a member of the Board of Trustees. My main duties and responsibilities are to support co-trustees and the senior management team who undertake the day to day running of the charity by approving issues discussed at council meetings, as well as safeguarding and promoting Canine Partners’ reputation.

How long have you been volunteering for Canine Partners?

I was partnered with Ulli in 2005 and I wanted to give something back to the Charity. The only thing I could give was my time so I became a volunteer and have being volunteering since 2005.
I started in the fundraising section of Canine Partners dealing with a range of office duties.

From that I was then asked if I would be willing to do talks at the information sessions. That was the start of my role as a speaker, and from that point on wards I would go out and do talks and attend presentations. When Canine Partners was expanding up into Scotland, I would go up and be part of the team involved in talks presentations which helped establish the Scotland office.

Why did you choose to volunteer for Canine Partners?

In July 2008 I was invited to apply to join the Board of Trustees, and after going through an application and interview process I was appointed.

What is the most rewarding thing about volunteering for Canine Partners?

For me the most rewarding thing about being a Trustee is that I have the opportunity to attend lots of events including high profile events as well as more low key ones promoting and supporting the charity. I also get the chance to meet other partners and potential partners.

I hopefully also persuade those people attending events to support Canine Partners in whatever capacity they can by spreading the word about how we can, and are, changing lives of people with physical disabilities by partnering them with one of our amazing dogs.

Why should others volunteer for Canine Partners?

By becoming a volunteer for Canine Partners, no matter what duty you undertake, you will in turn change the life of a disabled person when they are partnered with one of our amazing dogs. I know from personal experience that this would never have happened for me, being partnered with Ulli and now successor canine partner Frankie, without the help of volunteers within the charity.