Highlights from the ADUK conference
Posted 1 week ago
Our team recently attended the first-ever Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK) conference in Leamington Spa, connecting with other ADUK-registered charities and learning from inspiring speakers.
Last month, staff from our People, Communication and Operation teams, along with our CEO Lucy Eldridge, attended the first-ever Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK) conference in Leamington Spa. The two-day event was full of practical advice, thought-provoking discussions, and opportunities to connect with colleagues from other ADUK-registered charities, including Guide Dogs, Hearing Dogs, and Dogs for Good.
Day one brought together ADUK working groups to share progress, discuss priorities, and explore collaboration across key areas, such as policy development, volunteering, welfare, training, and research.
“Attending the first ADUK Conference really highlighted how far we’ve come through collaboration. It was encouraging to hear working groups share both successes and challenges, and to see the sector’s genuine commitment to supporting one another. I’m proud of the role we play in this collective effort.”
Lucy Eldred, CEO
Day two featured expert-led workshops on leadership, wellbeing, fundraising, and volunteering, alongside a presentation from members developing a shared outcomes framework to better measure sector impact. The day also included the ADUK Chat Show, with speakers Roly Owers OBE (World Horse Welfare), Roxanne Nazir (Battersea), and Steven Wibberdy (Pets as Therapy).
One very special highlight for our team was bumping into Sky, from our very first Doodle litter born in 2023! Sky has continued her journey with the Seeing Dogs Alliance and was partnered with Corie in January, now a fully qualified ‘seeing dog’.
A huge thank you to ADUK for hosting such a brilliant conference and bringing together so many incredible charities. We’re already looking forward to next year!