We have places ready to be snapped up in the Reading Half Marathon, Brighton Marathon, Tough Mudder, Ride London, Forth Road Bridge Abseil and Para Tri.
Holly Bryan, Events and Challenge Co-ordinator, said: “We are looking for people of all abilities who are willing to take on a challenge this year in aid of Canine Partners. All we ask is that you give something back by raising money for us through sponsorship.
“We have places available for many events during 2016 but we can also support you if you have your own place and wish to fundraise for Canine Partners.
“By supporting Canine Partners you will be joining our amazing ‘purple army’ team who are helping us to change people’s lives for the better.”
Paul Sparrow, who ran the London Marathon for Canine Partners last year, said: “The support I have received from the crowds and the Charity were fantastic and if one person saw my vest and googled Canine Partners to learn more about them, then it will have been worthwhile.”
For more information about taking on a challenge in aid of Canine Partners please contact Holly by filling in the form below.
We’re challenging people to buy a pack of 25 fabrics and use all of them, in whole or part, to create a finished piece which will be exhibited for four days from Thursday 18 February at The Angel Inn in Midhurst, who are generously hosting the event.
Attendees of the exhibition will be able to purchase the creative pieces of art, with all funds enabling us to continue our life-changing work.
Organiser Olive Rowell, who was one of a team of 60 chosen to embroider HRH 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, is donating all proceeds from the £10 pack to us.
Olive, from Haslemere, said: “We are thrilled TRH The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester’s Household have taken time out from their busy schedule to take part in the challenge. HRH The Duke of Gloucester is Patron of Canine Partners, and has always taken a keen interest in the work of the Charity.
“There is still time to be among Royalty and take part too; it is an ideal gift for people of all ages. It is a fantastic opportunity to be creative whether you complete the challenge as an individual or group.
“We look forward to welcoming people to the exhibition in February and raising funds so such a worthwhile cause.”
If you are interested in purchasing a 25-piece pack to take on the Textile Art Challenge please contact Olive Rowell on 01428 642507 or it will be available via caninepartners.org.uk/shop from Monday 4 January.
Canine Partners, an organisation which trains dogs to assist people with disabilities, held the event at Tor Sports and Leisure Centre in Glastonbury, Somerset, to mark the milestone, as well as the fifth anniversary of the puppy group and first birthday of puppy Piper. This venue is where the Charity holds its puppy training classes for local volunteers who look after their young dogs for a year and begin their training to be assistance dogs.
The dedicated group carried out games with their puppies such as waiting 25 seconds for treats, carrying their wooden spoon or dinner bowl for 25 steps the quickest and a temptation alley of 25 hot dogs. The Somerset puppy group also celebrated with a specially made dog cake and dinner for the pups!
Heather Loan, Somerset Puppy Group Trainer at Canine Partners, said: “We wanted to mark 25 years of Canine Partners with a special celebration – and what better way than honouring our puppies! Everyone had a great time while training their puppies in a fun and engaging way. The group put a lot of effort into the event with many quirky games and a small three course meal for each, made up of vegetable soup, chicken casserole or fish pie followed by a Bonio treat. We are always looking for new puppy parents to teach the assistance-dogs-in-training basic obedience, social skills and core tasks that are essential before they move on to advanced training, where their skills are refined specifically for a disabled person’s needs. It’s a really rewarding role.”
The Somerset puppy training group is always looking for more puppy parents to help train the young dogs. Please contact us for more information.
Phil, from Uckfield, East Sussex, hopes his electric bike will break the current world record of 6.94 seconds by travelling a quarter of a mile at 200mph in six seconds with 1,000 horsepower and zero emissions from a standing-start. He plans to see the bike make its debut on a race track in early 2016. Phil already holds the title of the UK’s fastest electric motorcycle having designed and built it in 2011. He has since spent the last three years planning and fundraising to build a new bike to take on the American constructors and bring the world record to the UK.
Generous Phil will donate six per cent of all Supporter Club subscriptions and 10 per cent of all merchandise sales to national charity Canine Partners after hearing about the good work they do.
Phil said: “Exciting projects like ‘Fast Charge’ attract lots of attention and I was aware that we could use our high profile to raise awareness for the Charity. I’ve been looking for some time to find a deserving cause and, as a dog lover myself, was intrigued when I first heard about Canine Partners. When I met them and saw the amazing work they do to train and support assistance dogs I was really impressed and knew we’d found our own partner!”
The motorbike which broke the UK record for the fastest electric motorcycle spent 2014 at The National Motor Museum in Beaulieu as part of their special exhibition ‘Record Breakers – for Britain and the hell of it….’
To join the ‘Fast Charge’ project Supporters Club or for merchandise enquiries visit www.fast-charge.org.
She said: “I dressed up as a dog and took part in the one-off Bexhill to Hastings Link Road 10k run to raise money and awareness for Canine Partners. Canine Partners is an amazing charity which trains dogs to perform all sorts of daily tasks and then partners these incredible dogs with disabled people. Assistance dogs can provide invaluable help with tasks that may otherwise be difficult, painful or impossible to perform for a disabled person. The dogs also provide that special companionship, unconditional love and affection which is so unique to dogs. Having a Canine Partner can, quite literally, transform a disabled person’s life, giving them back independence and the confidence to go out and about on their own.”
To sponsor Clare, visit www.justgiving.com/ClareKersley-Duathlon4CaninePartners
David, 53, of Chichester, cycled 1,600 miles during the course of 16 days through France and Spain to reach Gibraltar, with just two rest days.
David, a catering manager, who completed the challenge with his friend Trevor Plunkett, said: “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet lots of interesting people along the way and also to see France and Spain in a way that you wouldn’t see it whilst driving, the added bonus to all this was that I managed to raise over a thousand pounds to help Canine Partners. I am doing the challenge for Canine Partners because I am an abled bodied person who can achieve a massive challenge to help out a charity that helps give people independence and a quality of living.”
Holly Bryan, Events and Challenge Coordinator here at Canine Partners, said: “What David has achieved is phenomenal and has certainly gone the extra mile to raise money for Canine Partners. Canine Partners does not receive any government funding and relies solely on donations so all the money David raised from his incredible feat will enable us to partner more people with disabilities with our amazing assistance dogs.”
To sponsor David, visit www.justgiving.com/Dave-Ainger.
Great effort David, well done!
Wheelchair user Leanna, who has cerebral palsy, was paired with life-transforming assistance dog Trudy in November 2011 and hopes the money John raises will one day benefit another person with disabilities.
Daredevil John, 48, from Dodford, Worcestershire, said: “I did a tandem skydive in aid of Canine Partners because I know just what a difference having one of these dogs can make to someone’s life. I have been a carer for just over eight years and the person I care for was partnered with one of these dogs in 2011. Trudy is a golden retriever and she has changed Leanna’s life beyond belief.
“Trudy gets Leanna’s clothes for her in a morning, helps Leanna to load and unload the washing machine and assists Leanna when she is out and about during the day, for example helping fetch the shopping and picking things up when she drops things. She also gets Leanna undressed at night. These are just a few of the tasks that Trudy does every day but she wouldn’t be able to do them if it wasn’t for the amazing charity, Canine Partners.
“Not only have they given her a dog, they have given her confidence and feeling of self-worth back.”
The daring youngster, whose family is the proud holder of Canine Partners’ brood bitch Bonny, raised the hard-earned cash to train more assistance dogs which will transform the lives of people with disabilities.
Hayley said: “I wanted to do it because I want people to notice Canine Partners more and raise money for them. I have a few more fundraising ideas in the pipeline after Bonny has had her puppies. I will bake cakes and I would do a sponsored bike ride on my own.”
A big thank you and congratulations to Hayley for completing this amazing challenge.
Canine Partners were selected as an official partner of Bright10 and had the privilege of handing out finishers’ medals to those that took part and presenting the winners with their prizes. Attendees were able to meet and greet our demonstration dogs and talk to some of our partners who have our assistance dogs.
The money the runners raised for Canine Partners through sponsorship will help to fund the training of more assistance dogs, transforming the lives of people with disabilities. Thank you to all who got involved and joined our fabulous team.
The adventurous group, including several staff members from Canine Partners, signed up to the X Runner Extreme Obstacle race in Wild Park, Derbyshire, and took part in a run jam-packed with 32 obstacles on Sunday 27 September.
Cat Howourth, Amanda Dyne, Gemma Collins, Laura Loftus, Sophie Reed, Sammie Charnock, Luke Charnock, Amy Allen, Trish O’Reily and Kim Moss raised the hard-earned cash to train more assistance dogs, transforming the lives of people with disabilities.
Cat Howourth, an advanced trainer at the Charity’s Midlands Centre in Osgathorpe, said: “Working for Canine Partners my friends regularly hear about the work we do and the amazing dogs who transform lives; they wanted to do their part so a group of us got together with the aim of challenging ourselves in order to raise money for Canine Partners.
“X-Runner seemed like a great opportunity to get our purple power seen out in force, although half way round the course I’m not sure how much of the purple could be seen for mud!
“With fire jumps, hay bale climbs, swamp walks and water jumps it certainly was a challenge but the whole team crossed the line together with smiles on our faces knowing that we had not only raised loads of money for Canine Partners, but we also had great fun doing it!’’
To sponsor the adventurous group, visit www.justgiving.com/cpxrunner.
