Deborah Herridge started volunteering for Canine Partners as a puppy parent and fosterer for dogs back in 2009 and she thoroughly enjoyed watching the puppies develop and go on to do amazing things. Although she loved the experience, her full time job made it difficult to continue taking on the role – so she turned to fundraising instead.

It was after seeing the London Paralympics that Deborah first became inspired to start fundraising for us, determined to take on a challenge to raise the vital funds needed to provide an assistance dog. Her first fundraiser was a triathlon that she completed at her local gym. It was this experience that started her love for long distance swimming.

Over the past few years, Deborah has raised an incredible £10,000 for charities including us through her swimming challenges and with her next venture, swimming across the English Channel, she hopes to raise another £5,000.

This time round she is giving something back to her sponsors – for every £5 donated, the sponsor will get a ticket for an incredible prize draw that currently includes 96 prizes including luxurious spa days, a flying lesson and much more!

Of choosing Canine Partners to raise funds for, Deborah said:

“I have seen first hand how a canine partner can change people’s lives, and I have made friends with some of the Partners that have been allocated dogs…I can see what it means to them, how much independence they are able to get back and how much the dogs are loved and cared for. Canine Partners really does change people’s lives for the better”.

“Even though fundraising is hard work, it is really rewarding. If I can swim the 21 miles or more to France in the chilly sea with jelly fish, tankers and waves, and by doing so help raise loads for a brilliant charity, then that will make it even more worthwhile.”

To follow Deborah’s journey as she trains for this amazing feat, you can follow her page on Facebook, or find her on Twitter and Instagram.

Donate to Deborah’s fundraising by visiting her JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Deborah-Herridge4

Want to take on a fundraising challenge for Canine Partners?

Visit our Fundraising section for plenty of inspiration and ideas on how to help us transform the lives of people with disabilities.