Festive fundraising roundup

Smashed it!

Thanks to our wonderful supporters, we smashed our target for The Big Give Christmas Challenge 2022, hitting £60,000 in only five days! An incredible achievement! With the support of our champion, Candis Club and some of our generous funders including The Sherling Charitable Trust, all donations to the appeal were doubled. We are thrilled to have raised over £61,300 in total, helping us to build a brighter future and focus on our vision, that every disabled person lives their life to the full. Thank you to everyone who supported the Big Give Christmas Challenge 2022.

Little life-changers

Puppy Gregg didn’t know he would grow up to be a life-changer. Our winter appeal followed Gregg’s story to becoming the amazing assistance dog he now is, to his partner Rebecca. Thank you to everyone who donated to our appeal to help fund our puppies, like Gregg, to take their next steps. Our latest litters of puppies, born just a few weeks ago, will be getting ready to start their journey – our Little Life-changers Appeal is still open if you’d like to donate to support their next steps too.

Wonderful corporate partnerships

We are so lucky to partner with amazing organisations and companies who generously support our charity. We’ve had some brilliant and diverse fundraising initiatives over the festive period last year, successfully raising awareness, and many thousands of pounds, for Canine Partners

Sharing the joy with Pets at Home

Featuring a short film of partner Lauren, with her canine partner Fliss, Pets at Home launched a special seasonal campaign, featuring Wainwrights Christmas selection and celebrating sharing the joy with your pets at Christmas. Pets at Home are donating a fantastic £20,000 to Canine Partners in support of this campaign. David Watson, Corporate Relationship Manager at Canine Partners says “Pets at Home are a strong supporter of the work of Canine Partners. This support will very much help us to continue training and providing assistance dogs to adults with disabilities.”

Pets at Home have also been fundraising for Canine Partners in two special communities as part of their Santa Paws Campaign with all kinds of fundraising activities in and around the stores in Mansfield and Chichester – our huge thanks to all who got involved.

Pet’s Corner Christmas campaign

Long-standing corporate partner Pets Corner celebrated their 10^th year supporting Canine Partners by asking customers to donate 30 pence at the checkout when making their purchases. Pets Corner generously matched all these donations. David Watson, Corporate Relationship Manager said, “We are delighted to receive such incredible all year round support from Pets Corner and to match all customer donations during their Christmas Campaign in support of Canine Partners, was incredibly generous. We would like to thank all the amazing Pets Corner team and their customers who donated to support our vital work.”

Christmas with our community

Our team were delighted to turn Canary Wharf purple at the end of November with a successful day of amazing demonstrations from our wonderful dogs, generous donations and delighted passers-by.

Christmas Carol Series

We hosted three Carol Services at three beautiful locations, to celebrate Christmas 2022. We were supported by many generous donors and supporters who supported us in many different ways. Our talented Demonstration teams showcased the skills of our amazing dogs, to the delight of everyone who attended.

Our particular thanks go to David Wilson Homes, Headline Sponsors of the Edensor Carol Service, Purina, Headline Sponsors of the London Carol Service and Pets Corner, Headline Sponsors of Arundel Carol Service.

Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended our carol services. Your commitment in joining us for these events, particularly during the very cold weather, is hugely appreciated and thanks to your support, they were truly magical occasions.

Our first carol service, on 7 December, was at St Paul’s Church in Knightsbridge, London. This was a new venue for us this year and our sincere thanks go to the team at St Paul’s Church, Amanda Wakeley, OBE for her wonderful reading, and to HRH Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO for giving his time to join us for the evening. Special thanks too, to our dedicated fundraiser Sarah Cleaver, who secured so many wonderful supporters such as Wild at Heart, Pet Pavilion, Berry Bros & Rudd, The Lady, The Dog House, White Coco, Country & Town House, WagWorks, Dundas Lifestyle, Auriens, Canaccord, Bamford Ltd, Jigsaw and Waitrose Belgravia.

For our second carol service, on 9 December, we were delighted to return to St Peter’s Church, Edensor, for a wonderful evening of celebration.

Our final carol service, on 15 December, was in the atmospheric surroundings of Arundel Cathedral. This service has become a firmly established tradition with the Cathedral and our community and our thanks to everyone who joined us at this sold out event.

Masons of the King Henry VIII Lodge donate gazebo to Canine Partners

Before the first Covid-19 lockdown, Bob Green, a member of the King Henry VIII Masonic Lodge in Hertfordshire, attended a dog show where he got talking to our Bedford Volunteer Fundraising Group.

During their discussion, Bob noticed that our gazebo was looking a little worse for wear and after returning home, he made a proposition to his fellow members to see if they would be interested in purchasing a new gazebo for us.

Over the next two years the Masons raised sufficient funds to purchase a branded gazebo that suits the needs of our fundraising volunteers. The gazebo was recently delivered and our fundraising volunteers are thrilled!

Bob said, “We wanted to do something bespoke for Canine Partners, to enable the volunteers to raise funds by attending outdoor shows and other events. Getting the right equipment for the charity ensures that the volunteers have the tools they need to go out and fundraise successfully”.

Chair of Bedford Volunteer Fundraising Group, Steve Thornton said: “We were absolutely thrilled to hear that the Masons of the King Henry VIII Lodge had bought us a gazebo that is perfectly suited to our needs. This has enabled us to get out fundraising at the earliest opportunity. We are all volunteers, and any support is extremely welcome”.

If you would like to support by helping us purchase equipment, or if you would like to join one of our Volunteer Fundraising Groups, please get in touch by emailing fundraising@caninepartners.org.uk.

One man and his motorcycle – Gary’s fundraising story

A 54 year old criminal defence lawyer, Gary had always been interested in taking on the ‘Iron Butt UK’ challenge, a motorcycle ride that visits all four corners of the United Kingdom in 36 hours. Gary often rides long distances and wanted to add an extra dimension to his challenge, so decided to fundraise in memory of his own dog Sampson.

Gary was inspired by seeing the bond his mother has with her dog, Jake, and the joy he brings her and he knows our partnerships have that same special relationship. “I was greatly moved by the bond I could see between the Canine Partners assistance dogs and their partners. It’s a wonderful, special bond. I just had to get involved and help.”

Read Gary’s story:

As well as the main challenge, I set myself a personal target to cover 1,000 miles in 24 hours. And at the 24-hour point, I had completed 1,236 miles. I was really pleased and whilst I didn’t need to do any additional training for the challenge as I ride long distances all the time, I did need to prepare myself mentally. Riding a motorbike on your own through the night, almost non-stop for 36 hours, is tougher than it sounds!

On the road

The most difficult leg of my trip was from Lowestoft to Land’s End, which took nine hours. I had to keep my mind sharp as it was pitch black, there were no motorways for the second half of the leg, unlit roads, and all kinds of hazards. Riding across Bodmin Moor at 3:30 in the morning, through the mist under a huge full moon is a sight that will be forever be etched in my memory. I kept telling myself it’s all for the doggies!

Vital fundraising

When I set up my JustGiving page, I was hoping to raise £500. The donations kept coming and I started to hope that I could reach £1,000 and they continued until I had raised a total of £1,974 and a friend kindly donated to get me to £2,000. It didn’t stop there and my final fundraising total, with Gift Aid, reached almost £2,500. I was astounded and incredibly emotional that people were so generous, particularly during a very difficult time for all of us.

Amazing achievement

I’ve been riding bikes for 37 years and this challenge was the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. However it was much physically tougher than I had expected it to be. I completed the challenge in 33 hours and 22 minutes, so I even had time to spare! I’m very proud of that.

Could you fundraise for Canine Partners, like Gary? To find out more and get inspiration for your next adventure, please visit caninepartners.org.uk/take-on-a-challenge.

Meet Amy Martin – Virtual London Marathon Runner 2021

Amy, from Shropshire undertook part the Virtual London Marathon in 2021 to raise funds for Canine Partners, as she saw the amazing impact Canine Partner Questa had on her mum, Hazel’s life.

Canine Partner Questa, who sadly passed away earlier this year, changed Hazel’s life with the physical and emotional support that she offered, helping with everyday tasks and giving Hazel the independence she needed to live her life to full.

“I was amazed when I got the call from Canine Partners to say that I had got a place in the Virtual London Marathon. I was so nervous, as I have never ran before and was worried that I wouldn’t be up to the challenge.

“However seeing my mum with her canine partner Questa gave me all the motivation I needed! Questa was a life saver for my mum giving her the confidence to go out and be independent.

“I wanted to give someone else the chance of having their lives changed like Mum’s was. I began to run the couch to 5k in January and gradually built up the miles over the 10 months to the marathon. Each time I felt like I couldn’t do it I pictured Questa and it gave me the determination to keep going.

“My Mum and I raised money by asking friends, family and people at work to donate. We also organised a village litter pick, a BBQ auction day, a fun village dog show and a tombola. I was hoping to raise about £500 but we managed to raise an incredible £2439.

“I was so excited on marathon day but also worried in case I let Canine Partners down by not finishing. People were brilliant on the day, cheering me on and encouraging me and every 5 miles I got to run past mum and Questa at my motivation station which kept me going.

“As I crossed the finish line I felt so proud of what I had achieved and felt so much more fitter and healthier than I did in January. I had even lost 2 stone!

“What made it even better was receiving the congratulations and thank-you letter from Gemma at Canine Partners telling me that the money raised was helping to train a Canine Partner for someone- that made me feel so delighted and proud of what I had achieved!”

Do you think you could take on this world famous challenge of running the Virtual London Marathon in your local area and raise funds and help us build our future and create more incredible partnerships like Hazel and Questa?

Sign-up today at caninepartners.org.uk/event/virtuallondonmarathon2022

Meet Ruth, a Community Fundraising volunteer from East Sussex

Her journey with Canine Partners started with volunteering as a Puppy Parent volunteer, helping to take care of our puppies at the beginning of their Canine Partners journey. Ruth was so captivated by the work we do and the amazing impact that an assistance dog can have on their partners’ lives that she soon joined the team as a Puppy Trainer.

In this role, she helped support the training of our first dual dog (Hearing Dog and Canine Partners trained) and supported all of the local Puppy Parent volunteers in her area. In a personal capacity, Ruth has also very kindly donated 9 puppies from her own litters that have since gone on to become incredible assistance dogs.

Ruth was offered the opportunity to get involved with an event local to her in East Sussex, the Arlington Bluebell Walk. There is a local farm that every year, invites visitors to enjoy their beautiful bluebells in guided walks. Local charities are invited to come in to support the event and are given the opportunity to raise funds from the café on the day. So, Ruth rallied together an amazing group of volunteers to help her support the event.

Ruth says: “It’s wonderful to be involved with the event as it is so well supported by the public and so well organised by the team at the farm. There are 7 different walks you can take, including an accessible path which is lovely as our partners and people with physical disabilities are able to join us to experience the stunning bluebells too.

The amazing team of volunteers that support the event are just marvelous, giving their time and dedication to make it such a success. The Canine Partners volunteer team currently hold the record for the most people through the gates in one day, with over 3,000 people catered for! We are all really proud of this achievement.

Every year, the Canine Partners volunteering team just keeps growing with more friends and family getting involved. We always have such fun working together – all whilst raising money to support the creation of more life-changing partnerships.”

Rachel, one of the brilliant team who has supported with the last four walks, says:

“I find volunteering with Canine Partners hugely rewarding. Having been a Puppy Parent volunteer in recent years, I’ve been privileged to see the difference that these incredible dogs make in the lives of their partners. It’s a joy to have been able to offer both my time and skills at this year’s Bluebell Walk. Not only am I helping to raise vital funds for the charity but I also love chatting to people about the incredible work that Canine Partners does.”

Ruth and the volunteers have managed the event for 10 years, raising over £17,000. A truly incredible achievement for all the volunteers involved in this lovely event.

Would you like to arrange an event to fundraise for Canine Partners? Perhaps you already have a great idea or, if you’re looking for some inspiration, check out our Fundraising Guide at caninepartners.org.uk/fundraising-toolkit