Categories: A big thank you

A big thank you

Textile Art Challenge raises over £2,000 to transform lives

Art-lovers were able to purchase creative pieces at The Angel Inn in Midhurst during the four day exhibition which took place between 18-21 February.  The hotel was very generous in hosting the event enabling all proceeds from the sales to go to our Charity.

Organiser of the challenge Olive Rowell, who was one of a team of 60 chosen to embroider the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress under strict confidentiality at the Royal School of Needlework in the lead up to the Royal wedding in 2011, challenged people to buy a pack of 25 fabrics and use all of them, in whole or part, to create a finished piece which most people chose to donate to the exhibition.

All proceeds from the £10 pack went to Canine Partners.

Olive, from Haslemere, said: “The joy of this challenge was it was totally inclusive and anyone could take part whatever their ability. On one hand there was an exhibit from a special needs school and the other end of the spectrum there were semi-professional artists. This meant we sold items from £5 to £195 so there was something for everyone. I am now looking forward to next year when we can challenge even more people.”

Kay Gilmore, Regional Fundraiser at Canine Partners, said: “We are grateful to everyone who has been involved in Canine Partners Textile Art Challenge.

“Canine Partners does not receive any government funding so the money raised will enable us to continue our life-transforming work.”

Canine Partners at Crufts

Our demonstration team kicked off the four day event at the NEC in Birmingham by showing hundreds of people the tasks our canine partners can carry out for their disabled partners, such as opening and closing doors, emptying the washing machine, undressing their partner and even helping them transfer from a bed to wheelchair.

Throughout the four days we had a team of demo dogs on hand for members of the public to stroke, witness tasks and ask their handler questions. Many even made donations by giving their money to the dog to put in the bucket!

One of our partnerships Wendy Hilling, who has a genetic condition called recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (EB) which means the slightest knock can cause her skin to tear or blister, took part in book signings on the Friday and Saturday. Wendy’s canine partner Ted saves her life everyday as he is trained to push a panic button if Wendy is unable to breathe. Their book ‘My Life in his Paws’ was available to purchase on the stand with 50 per cent profit coming to Canine Partners.

We are privileged to work in partnership with Help for Heroes, who have funded a number of partnerships of former service men and women. It was fantastic to see them at Crufts and demo dog Fiona certainly didn’t mind them making a fuss of her!

A massive thank you and well done to all those involved in making Crufts a fantastic experience.

Best day at our Southern Centre thanks to Greggs!

We were delighted to welcome Simon, Sarah, Nick, Richard, David and Debbie from Greggs this week. They came to help refresh the paintwork in our offices and what a grand job they did too!

The best thing was they brought doughnuts and sausages for our staff – #bestdayever!

If your company or colleagues would like to volunteer at either our Southern Centre or Midlands Centre, please let us know. We have plenty of jobs we often need help with including decorating, gardening, envelope stuffing and much more.

Just get in touch with our Corporate Fundraising Team below and they’ll let you know when and where you can help.

A big thank you to the Canny Company

canny_girlsAnd the gift is extra special this time because the sets are in Canny’s new colour option of Canine Partners’ purple!

The Canny collar is both a dog walking collar and training device. With a Canny collar, even the most powerful pullers soon learn to walk well on a loose lead, making the experience of being out with your dog more enjoyable and comfortable for both of you.

In the Canine Partners community, Canny collars and leads are used by both our trainers and our partners.

Trust and Corporate Manager Cat Harvey said: “We are extremely grateful for this donation of equipment to the Charity.  Having the canny lead and collar in our charity colour is a really special way for the company to show their support.”

Find out more about Canny Company on their website.

 

A big thank you to Crofton School

It all started with an educational talk to the pupils in the Croft, a specialist unit for autistic children.

It quickly became clear that the pupils were very knowledgable about animals and were fascinated to learn about how the charity trained dogs to assist humans. A return visit to the Croft by Sarah and the lovely demo dog Hamlet, was extremely well received, particularly when he showed off his prowess by opening the security door with his paws. A round of applause ensued!

A team of volunteers consisting of Bev, Sheena, Chris, ably assisted by puppy in training, Waveney presented to year 8, with Sarah and Hamlet joining the team for a year 11 event.

As a consequence the school held a coffee morning to raise funds and the educational talk will now be integrated into the year 8 curriculum, giving Canine Partners a regular presence in the school.

Amanda Knight, Senior Assistant Headteacher said ‘It is inspiring to see how much the dogs are able to do and what a difference they can make to someone’s life. Whoever said do not work with children and animals has never worked with these children and animals!’

Thank you to Billingshurst Parbrook Cubs for your fabulous fundraising

Buttons_playing_with_toy copyThe Cubs, boys and girls aged eight to ten years old, completed our Give The Dog a Bone challenge and earned £1 at a time by doing jobs, being kind or helpful.

Our Fundraising Assistant Julie Graham, who went along to give a talk with supporter dog Jenson, said: “The Cub Pack has raised an amazing £145 for us which will help us to continue our fantastic work in training more assistance dogs for disabled people. We are grateful for all their fundraising efforts and hope they enjoyed taking part in the fun bone challenge.”

As well as earning pounds through tasks such as emptying the bin, emptying the dishwasher, sweeping the floor and laying the table, they also chose for Canine Partners to receive money from a carol service collection at St Mary’s Church in Billingshurst.

Buttons says a huge well done!

Puppy in training Octavia collects cheque for £2,995

Puppy in training Octavia and her volunteer puppy parents Clinton and Mary Arthur were presented with the donation by the Royal Palace team who have had a busy year fundraising in aid of our charity.

Kay Gilmore, our Community Fundraiser, said: “We are delighted to accept this generous cheque from the Hampton Court Palace Gardens and Estate Team. We would like to thank the staff for their fantastic fundraising efforts during the past year.

“They have been busy selling raffle tickets, organising cake sales and coffee mornings and even sold more than 80 hanging baskets to raise funds for us.

“We are so grateful to the team for all their enthusiasm and commitment they have made to transform the lives of disabled people by supporting Canine Partners.

“Canine Partners does not receive any government funding and relies solely on donations, so the money they have donated will truly make a difference.”

Richard Lewis, a member of the Hampton Court Palace Gardens and Estate team, said: “I put Canine Partners forward for us to fundraise for the past year as I have always had a soft spot for dogs and I like the fact they also transform the lives of people with disabilities.

“It’s great the dogs get a great home and benefit the people they are partnered with. It’s a great feeling to know we have made a difference.”

Chris Robshaw supports us in his Testimonial Year

site_imagery_AndrewFields_emilyandDoyle_withChrisTo celebrate the England player’s achievements ten years on from his debut for Harlequins he has chosen our charity alongside Teenage Cancer Trust and Walking with the Wounded to benefit from a series of events he will hold in 2016, as well as giving back to the rugby community.

Chris, 29, who went to Millfield School, said: “I have chosen to support Canine Partners due to seeing first-hand the exceptional benefits dogs have upon people in need. The ability these dogs have in developing their partner’s quality of life is outstanding and I am honoured that the Chris Robshaw Testimonial Committee will be able to support the Charity.”

The rugby player, who has played 67 tests for England, launched his Testimonial Year with an event at Coutts Bank in London where he described his plans for the year and had a question and answer session in front of an invited audience.

Chris and a selected committee have planned events throughout 2016, including a dinner in Twickenham Changing Rooms, a golf day at Goodwood, a clay shoot at the West Wycombe Estate, a Festival of Rugby, a touch rugby series across London and a gala dinner at The Roundhouse in London, to raise awareness and funds for his chosen beneficiaries.

The money Chris will fundraise for us will transform the lives of more people with physical disabilities like Andrew Fields who attended the launch evening and met Chris himself. Former Hooker Andrew played rugby internationally for four years for England Under 18-21s in his youth and became an incomplete tetraplegic after a motorbike accident in 2001. Andrew is now the Head Coach of Winchester Rugby Football Club’s men’s team, as well as a P.E. teacher in Basingstoke.

Andrew, who also went to Millfield School, said: “I was 31-years old when the incident happened and I broke my neck. Now, I can walk with a stick but I use a wheelchair most of the time. I used to own a gym and was very active so it has changed everything.

“I was matched with canine partner Emily in 2008 and since then she has given me much more confidence and she is a talking point as people want to know all about her life as a canine partner. Emily’s best skill is removing socks, hats and gloves which is particularly useful during the rugby season. This is a tedious activity that becomes fun when she is involved. She makes me happy, entertains me and is a huge part of our family.”

To find out more about Chris’s testimonial year visit www.testimonial.chrisrobshaw.com.

Memorial Rugby Game purchases puppy for Canine Partners

DSC_0082The game, hosted and organised by Stowmarket Rugby Club, raised an amazing £1,760 – enough to purchase a puppy that will go on to do amazing things and eventually transform someone’s life.

John turned 18 on 4 May 2015 but sadly did not survive a major car accident and died on 27 May 2015.

DSC_0102A dog lover himself he had just set up his own small business for dog boarding, walking and sitting. John had been doing some voluntary work with dog obedience classes for almost a year and was very much looking forward to working with them. John played rugby for Stowmarket and the game in his memory was a well attended and fantastic event for all who knew and loved him.Jean, Bill & Fennel - Compressed

Now his friends and family can enjoy updates about the puppy they have sponsored as he goes on to becomes a canine partner in John’s memory.

You too can sponsor a puppy to do something amazing and change someone’s life even if you aren’t organising an event like John’s memorial game. How about sponsoring a puppy for as little as £1 a week.

Visit our My Amazing Puppy page to find out more.