We need your votes to bag a share of Tesco’s community fund in Bedford!

Canine Partners is bidding to bag a massive cash boost from the Tesco’s Bags of Help initiative in Bedford.

We are lucky enough to have a group of keen supporters and volunteers in the Bedford area, which means we have been given the chance to win a share of Tesco’s community fund. We are asking for the public and our supporters to vote for our life-changing work in all of the Bedford Tesco stores in May 2019.

“We are so grateful for any votes that can be made for Canine Partners in the Tesco Bags for Life scheme,” says Steven Thornton, a member of Canine Partners’ Bedford Community Fundraising Group.
“The Tesco’s community fund is not only a great opportunity to win some life-transforming funds for Canine Partners, but it is also vital for raising awareness of the charity’s work in the area, as we are part of the Bedford Community Fundraising Group and there is also a puppy training satellite in the area.”

Tesco teamed up with Groundwork to launch its community funding scheme, which sees grants of £4,000, £2,000 and £1,000 awarded to local community projects.

Three groups in every Tesco region have been shortlisted to receive the cash award and shoppers are being invited to head along to Tesco stores to vote for who they think should take away the top grant.

Voting is open in all the Bedford Tesco stores in May 2019 and customers will cast their vote using a token given to them at the check-out in store each time they shop.

For more information about Tesco’s Bags of Help scheme please visit: www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp

Pupils at Fareham College support Canine Partners

On Tuesday 12 February, volunteer speaker Bev Scammell went to give a talk at Fareham College in Hampshire, just along the south coast from our Southern Training Centre in Midhurst.

The college was particularly interested in how the dogs were trained and used to help people with physical disabilities, as this is a topic for their Health and Social Care students.

The class was amazed by demonstration dog Tina with her human handler, also called Tina! The duo demonstrated the core skills of tug, touch and retrieve and showed the students how these skills can be used to fulfil a wide range of tasks around the home.

Not only was the group fascinated by the work of the charity, but they also kindly held a cake sale to raise vital funds and presented us with a cheque for £103.

A big thank you to Stephanie, the class lecturer, who invited us and to her group of first-class cake makers and sellers!

Request a speaker

Is your school or organisation interested in supporting Canine Partners? We have a network of volunteer speakers who can give talks and presentations all across the UK. Book a speaker today.

Meet brood bitch holder Angela from Nottinghamshire

As a charity, we rely on volunteers to give their love, time and homes to our amazing canine partner mums. The volunteers look after the canine partner mums, also known as brood bitches, and are responsible for taking care of the new-born puppies until they are around seven weeks old. The puppies born will grow up to be amazing assistance dogs for people living with physical disabilities across the UK. The brood bitches live out in volunteer homes and spend most of the year as a well-trained family pet.

Here is Angela’s story, a retired 57-year-old who currently has canine partner mum, Fay.

Fay joined Angela’s family in August 2017. Before Fay, Angela had no experience of looking after a bitch or bringing up a litter of puppies. After seeing Canine Partners at Chatsworth Country Fair, Angela started volunteering as a puppy parent in 2013.

After looking after three puppies-in-training, Angela was approached by the Breeding Department. Angela said:
“I had already considered it but had no experience so thought I wouldn’t be the right sort of person to do it. The breeding team reassured me that I didn’t need any experience and we discussed at length what it entailed before I decided it fitted in with my family lifestyle so agreed to go ahead and do it.”

Fay, a yellow Labrador retriever, lives with Angela as a well-trained pet, which Angela say is ‘such a joy’. Fay loves going for walks, playing with her toys and just being with Angela and her family.

Each brood is expected to have approximately four litters, one litter per year, before being retired. Volunteers, like Angela, do not need any experience as all the relevant support and training will be provided by the charity. Fay had her first litter in 2018. Angela said of the experience:

“I was nervous when it came to the time for her to have her puppies, but the support I had from the team at Canine Partners was second to none. Lyn and Sian, from the Canine Partners Breeding Department, were with me every step of the way and nothing was too much trouble to make sure I had everything I needed to support Fay and her puppies. They were available 24/7 if I had any concerns between their visits. The whole experience was magical. It was hard work but to see those tiny little pups develop and change every day was absolutely fascinating and it made the bond between me and Fay grow even stronger.”

Angela encourages others to volunteer as a brood bitch holder, as it has ‘enhanced her life immeasurably’.

“I have learnt so much as a brood bitch holder and I am really looking forward to Fay’s next litter. I feel so lucky to have this gorgeous girl and it seems a very small price to pay to give up eight weeks of the year to bring up her litter. The pride I feel seeing her puppies go on to be with their puppy parents is immense. I get regular updates on how they’re doing as well as photographs which is wonderful. I am very proud of my girl as she is a very good mum and has produced some beautiful and clever pups, who will go on to change someone’s life. To be there at the birth of a potential canine partner is very special indeed and something I will treasure forever.”

Often asked ‘how can you give the puppies up?’, Angela says it’s sad to watch them move on but is often reminded of the amazing canine partners they will become in the future.

“Their mission in life is to be amazing and transform the life of a person with a physical disability. If I can be any part of that process, I can be extremely grateful and proud of that achievement. Being involved with Canine Partners was the best decision I have made in my life. I have learnt so much and met some wonderful people. It has given me a purpose in life since I retired. When you see the end result – a dog that has changed someone else’s life for the better as a canine partner, words can’t really describe the sense of pride and fulfilment it gives you.”

When Fay retires from having puppies, Angela will keep her as a pet and can officially adopt her.

Becoming a brood bitch holder is a highly rewarding role.

We desperately need more volunteers to look after our amazing canine partner mums to help us fulfil the demand for a canine partner. If you or someone you know could help us raise amazing puppies and get them ready to move on to the first stage of their training at around 7 weeks old, find out more and get in touch with us by visiting caninepartners.org.uk/brood-bitch-holder/

Pupils at Springfield School support Canine Partners

Springfield School in Portsmouth, just along the south coast from our Southern Training Centre in Midhurst, has been an amazing supporter of our charity over the years.

On Monday 17 December the Canine Partners team returned to the school for the annual session for year 8 pupils, which is a great opportunity to tell them who we are, what we do and how we train our amazing dogs.

On this occasion, our volunteer speakers were joined by demonstration dog Tina with her human handler, also called Tina! The duo demonstrated the core skills of tug, touch and retrieve, much to the delight of the pupils. Tina was also able to demonstrate her Christmas dancing skills!

We also were presented with a cheque for £250 as part of fundraising by the school, whose five houses also sponsor one of our amazing puppies each. Assistant Head Teacher, Mr Lomas and his wife, have become fosterers for the charity too, so a warm welcome to the purple family!

Springfield is definitely a school that is keen to support Canine Partners and we are extremely grateful for their continued support.

Request a speaker

Is your school or organisation interested in supporting Canine Partners? We have a network of volunteer speakers who can give talks and presentations all across the UK. Book a speaker today.

Tails are wagging for The Big Give Christmas Challenge return!

We are delighted to announce that we will be taking part in The Big Give Christmas Challenge 2018.

Canine Partners first took part in the match-funding challenge in 2016, raising over £60,000.

A year later, for the Christmas Challenge 2017, we raised over £70,000! But this year, we are aiming even higher with a total fundraising target of £90,000.

The Big Give Christmas Challenge is a way for your donation to go even further, with all donations DOUBLED by Champions who have pledged to match all donations until we reach our target.

Online supporters will be encouraged to help us raise the initial £45,000 which will then be matched to reach £90,000. But the clock will be ticking, as the Challenge is for a limited time only.

The Challenge kicks off at 12pm on Tuesday 27 November (Giving Tuesday [ http://www.givingtuesday.org.uk/]) and will close at 12pm on Tuesday 4 December.

#TheBigWag

To drum up excitement for The Big Give Christmas Challenge, we are asking people to share their own #TheBigWag on social media – a video of their four-legged pal wagging their tail in anticipation!

To find out how to help us spread the word, visit caninepartners.org.uk/TheBigWag.

The link to donate will be available once the Challenge begins at 12pm on Tuesday 27 November.

Marabana Havana Half Marathon: Alex’s Fundraising Story

Alex Leete, a 55-year-old who lives on the Costa del Sol with two rescue dogs, a retired horse and eight tortoises, will take part in the Marabana Havana half marathon in Cuba to raise vital funds for Canine Partners.

Alex decided to fundraise for Canine Partners as she used to live in Graffham, just down the road from our Southern Training Centre in Midhurst, West Sussex. Alex said:

“I often used to see the handlers out and about with the puppies being trained. Having spoken to a few of them, we realised what a wonderful charity it is and how these dogs can change the lives of those people fortunate enough to have one join their family.”

It was Alex’s 86-year-old Dad who initially set down the challenge of running the Marabana Havana half marathon, to take Alex’s mind off of not being able to ride horses anymore. Having ridden horses since she was a child, Alex was in a serious accident earlier this year and has decided to give up riding and retire her horse. This is the challenge Alex needed to take her mind off of the lack of riding.

The Marabana Havana half marathon is due to take place on Sunday 18 November with a nice early start of 7am. Alex has no specific run time in mind after spraining her ankle during training and being out of action for over eight weeks, but she is determined to take part in the race. Alex said:

“It’s a case of my challenge now being to cross that finish line somehow! I’m fairly determined, some may say stubborn, so I don’t care how I do it. It doesn’t have to be fast and it doesn’t have to be pretty, but I’m going to puff and wheeze my way round and if it takes all day I’ll get there eventually!”

Alex chose the half marathon in Cuba as she used to work in the Latin American department of a large company and fell in love with the culture. Alex said:

“Cuba was part of our domain and having visited for the first time a couple of years ago, it kind of seems appropriate that my first running challenge should be in an area of the world I’m passionate about.”

When it comes to training, Alex’s plan went out the window when she sprained her ankle but she is now back to it and tries to do something each day to regain some fitness. From dog walks to long runs, Alex lives in a mountainous area of Spain and thinks this will be good for her stamina.

Sponsor Alex

You can sponsor Alex for the Marabana Havana Half Marathon on her JustGiving page by clicking here.

Challenge yourself

Are you up for a challenge? Whether it’s a marathon, an abseil, a skydive or another amazing idea, please visit caninepartners.org.uk/challenges/ for more information.

The Fair Oak Widows Club are inspired by what our amazing dogs can do

On Tuesday 9 October 2018, The Widows Club of Fair Oak, Southampton invited us to deliver a talk all about the work we do, who we do it for and how people can help us in our mission to transform lives.

The club, which was set up over 20 years ago, meets regularly at the Fair Oak Village Hall. They were keen to hear about Canine Partners and how they could support us.

Volunteer speaker Bev Scammell went along to deliver the talk, sharing information about the tasks our amazing dogs can do to provide greater independence to people living with physical disabilities. She also discussed the ways in which people can volunteer or fundraise for us.

The group were enamoured by our work and were very keen to make the acquaintance of two fluffy helpers… Ike and Kia!

They generously donated nearly £90, and have agreed to sponsor one of our latest My Amazing Puppy recruits! A huge thank you to the group for their donation.

Would you like to book a talk to find out more about our work?

Visit our Request a speaker page to find out how to book one of our volunteer speakers to deliver a talk at your local group, company, event or school.

The RunDisney Challenge: Frances’ Fundraising Story

It’s not every day you get to dress up as your favourite Disney characters and run through the famous theme park collecting themed medals!

But Frances and her partner Cairon decided to take on the challenge and raise vital funds for Canine Partners in the process. Here’s Frances’ fundraising story in her own words.

I always wanted to raise funds for an animal charity as whenever I donate to a good cause, it tends to go to animal charities. I wanted to find one that I felt I could connect to, and so Canine Partners seemed an ideal choice.

I’m a huge dog lover and hearing about the amazing training the puppies go through to become that special partner to someone who truly needs that day to day support…I just had to do my bit as well!

I have been the biggest Disney fan since forever but had not heard of the RunDisney event till last year when my partner, Cairon had run it in America and he told me how great an event it was. It had not been something I would have even considered a few years ago as I couldn’t even run for the bus without feeling out of breath!

But I decided at the end of 2017 I would start to change a bad habit of a lifetime of no exercise to be healthy and start running. It has been a tough journey as I’m by no means a natural runner and so had to slowly build up from literally running around the block to run walk over longer distances. The 36k challenge was always going to be the one I was going to do as I have an all or nothing attitude!

To be honest, the thought of running around Disney behind the scenes where normally you wouldn’t go as a visitor was very appealing as a Disney fan and also you get such cool medals at the end as well!

The challenge didn’t seem all that daunting at first when I arrived as I was sort of prepared with my training – although had only run up to 10k as it had been a really hot summer which made it hard to train in the heat. I was also suffering from a troublesome knee injury which was making things tough.

On Friday evening, Cairon and I ran the 5k which was fun as it is just like doing a 5k park run around Disney! We were in the first of our three costumes that I had made, Cinderella and Prince Charming. Dressing up isn’t compulsory, but the majority of the runners do dress up as their favourite characters!

The 10K run was then upon us the next morning at 7am. We dressed up as Ariel and Sebastian from The Little Mermaid for this run, and as we made our way around the course we would stop for the character photo opportunities you can have done.

After the 10K, I had some physio done on my knee which helped, and I had it taped up to support it in readiness for the half marathon the next morning. It was a 7am start again. I knew I would be fine, even though this was the toughest one and I was so tired, aching and a little apprehensive as to whether I’d be able to complete the whole distance.

For the half marathon, we dressed as Dalmatians from 101 Dalmatians, and with a run/walk method, I got myself around the course!

As I was coming over the finish line, I was so glad it was over but also amazed that I had just completed a total of 36K over the course of the weekend. I had support from my partner Cairon the whole way round, with lots of encouragement…he was my rock!

I would suggest to anyone who is thinking of challenging themselves to do something however big or small, to think about what a difference your fundraising efforts make to Canine Partners and the people who directly benefit from it.

I know that I will continue to find other ways to raise money for Canine Partners as the support and well done I got from the team at Heyshott for completing my challenge shows me their appreciation is truly heartfelt.

Donate to Frances’ Virgin Money fundraising page here.

Would you like to take on a challenge to raise vital funds so that we can train more amazing dogs?

Whether you wish to take on an active challenge like Frances, host your own bake sale or another fundraising event, visit the Fundraising section of our website for inspiration!

Fabulous fundraisers like Frances help us to transform the lives of people living with disabilities by matching them with an assistance dog to provide them with greater independence. Thank you, Frances!

Abseiling down the ArcellorMittal Orbit – Roshni’s fundraising story

Roshni here from The Wanderlust Within. Recently I took on Canine Partners charity challenge to freefall abseil off the highest sculpture in the UK, the ArcelorMittal Orbit in Stratford. I’ve always loved climbing but never been as comfortable with abseiling, so I thought it was the perfect reason to face my fear and get my adrenaline pumping!

Canine Partners are a great charity that train puppies to becomes assistance dogs and transform the lives of people with disabilities. They rely on donations to fund the creation of their life-transforming partnerships, that’s why it’s so important to get involved by either donating money, volunteering your time or taking part in one of the challenge days throughout the year. Everything from skydiving to cycling to experiences abroad.

The day was dry and a balmy 23 degrees, but unfortunately the blue skies were hidden by clouds. We were a small group of seven, and a few people worked for Canine Partners so were able to answer all my questions about puppy training (a good distraction for us all as we got kitted up). When ready we made our way up the elevators and were clipped into position by the team at Wire and Sky. We were abseiling two at a time but just as my instructor started to show me the ropes, the wind started to hit me quite hard and my stomach started to turn. I decided getting down quickly was the way to go, but first I would have to face my fear and lie back horizontally against the orbit before launching myself off the structure. I was nervous and moving my feet slowly but the instructor sensed my fear and talked me through it, and within a few moves my feet were dangling and no longer touching anything!

At that point I felt free, and all my fears were gone, I looked around at the panoramic views and then started to lower myself, I realised how to increase and decrease the speed of my freefall and felt comfortably in control. I looked down at the crowds of people enjoying their Sunday morning routines in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, some stopped to stare at me so I waved until they waved back.

I enjoyed the wind in my hair so I descended quickly and was met with a cheer from the support team at Canine Partners, and even a few kisses from the Labradors.

Why not step out of your comfort zone and take on a personal challenge?

It was a great experience and a very different way to spend a Sunday in London, so for anyone wanting to challenge themselves, and to help a good cause at the same time, I recommend doing one of Canine Partners’ challenges. Of course, you can also help without doing anything crazy, from donating money to volunteering your time to help train these amazing puppies and transform someones life.

Meet Puppy Parent Rachel from West Sussex

As a charity, we rely on our vital puppy parent volunteers who graciously give up their time to raise and train our puppies to prepare them for “Big School”. This is when the dog will join us at one of our training centres to begin the process of advanced training before being matched with a person with disabilities.

Here is Rachel’s story, a 45-year-old mum of two who is currently with her first puppy-in-training, Morley.

Rachel and her family had talked about her becoming a volunteer for Canine Partners for a while, and it was decided that when her two sons were older she would give it a go. Sadly, three years ago the life of her and her sons changed drastically with the loss of her husband Paul.

Before Paul had passed away, he had told Rachel: “I think you’ll surround yourself with kids and dogs”. He was right.

Rachel first became aware of Canine Partners through attending one of our information sessions. She said of the experience:

“We sat in and watched the demonstrations and my Mum and I couldn’t speak at the end of it because we had lumps in our throats. It was then I just knew that this is what I want to do. I think it was the idea of the routine of the training and meeting other like-minded doggy people too, who always tend to be lovely, after feeling so lost.”

Looking after an adorable puppy in training has been a healing process for the MacDonald family. Rachel and her sons began by fostering, and then after feeling ready for a new challenge, Rachel decided to become a puppy parent.

“I now have my first puppy Morley, an 11 month old black Labrador. I’ve had him since he was exactly eight weeks old.

It’s been challenging but we were ready for that challenge and have thrown ourselves into it. It’s very rewarding. Each week there’s a new challenge but you overcome that and there is always something else to learn and to get on top of.”

So what is it really like to train an assistance dog of the future? Rachel describes a typical day as a puppy parent:

“I get a lovely welcome as soon as I wake up in the morning from Morley. The day then starts with a play followed by a training session, where we either meet up with our amazing Satellite Trainer Claire or do some training at home on our own. Claire has been so supportive from day one, it actually surprised me how much support that you get.

Claire and the rest of the puppy department are on hand all the time to guide you and you’re not alone at all. I think I’m so honest with Claire with what obstacles we face because I am so keen to get this right for Morley, I don’t want to fail him. I want Morley to go on with the best chance to be an amazing assistance dog, so for us as a family for him to go on to do great things and transform someone’s life is what it’s all about.

The training side of being a puppy parent is very sociable as you get to meet up with other puppy parents with their puppies, which is really helpful because sometimes you feel you’re the only one that might have a particular problem but then you get to chat with others and you realise that they feel the same. Its lovely seeing the puppies have their free time and play, it’s not all rigid training and routines.”

For the first 16 weeks of Morley’s socialisation with Rachel, he has had the opportunity to explore lots of different places including public transport, shops and to the park to practice recalls. He has also experienced lifts, stairs and pedestrian crossings…and all in his stride, too!

When asked about the most important part of being a puppy parent, Rachel emphasises how crucial it is to be able to give your time to it. You will only get out what you put in, and for an assistance dog in training it is key to train and socialise them to their very best ability in order to give them the best chance to succeed. When your puppy passes its training and is matched with a person with disabilities, it is an incredible feeling.

“The most rewarding thing about being a puppy parent is when you get something right. For us it’s been quite a challenging journey so when we get something right it just makes all that hard work so worthwhile.

I can’t wait for Morley to be partnered. I know it will be really hard to say goodbye to him and it will be tough on the boys, but just knowing he’s going on to make such a difference to someone’s life is amazing. He’s such a lovely boy and he really deserves to be able to help someone and make someone happy.

If you’re thinking about being a puppy parent I say go for it. As long as you feel you have the time to put in to it and just keep in mind the great thing that’s going to come out at the end of it, you get so much out of it. We have got so much out of having Morley as a family as he brings a lot of joy, he really does. When he’s done healing us and making us happy he will go on and help someone living with a disability who needs him.”

We desperately need more puppy parents to help us fulfill the demand for a canine partner. If you, or someone you know could help us train our amazing puppies, find out more and get in touch with us by visiting caninepartners.org.uk/puppyparents.