Categories: Volunteers and fundraisers

Volunteers and fundraisers

Say Ciao, Hola or Bonjour to learning a new language! | Fit for 30 Challenge

The Fit for 30 Challenge is taking place over the 30 days of September to help raise the vital funds we need to continue our life-transforming work.

The Fit for 30 Challenge can be any activity as long as you are getting fit – mentally or physically! From running 30 miles or walking for 30 minutes, to doing 30 minutes of meditation or completing 30 crossword puzzles. Whatever your age or ability, you can take part!

Help to inspire others by sharing photos or videos of your challenge on social media using the official hashtag #fitfor30challenge to be part of the campaign.

Every extra step you take, whether it’s running, wheeling or learning, will inspire your friends and family to support you in your Fit for 30 Challenge.

Sign up to the Fit for 30 Challenge today here.

Women’s organisation ‘Inner Wheel’ raise an amazing £4,000 for Canine Partners

Lesley, pictured giving their cheque to our very own Laura from the Income Generation Team, is the Chairman of District 1 of the Inner Wheel, which covers most of the north and east of Scotland, with twenty four Clubs from Stirling to Inverness and around 730 members. 

Each year the Chairman of each Inner Wheel District chooses a charity to fundraise for, and Lesley chose Canine Partners.

Lesley says, “I had first become aware of the charity’s work when they started 30 years ago near where I lived in Sussex. We were delighted when Jane from Edinburgh and her canine partner Damson came to talk to members at our District meeting in Pitlochry last August. Everyone was so impressed and moved by the difference Damson has made to Jane and how, with Damon’s love and support, she’d regained her energy and enthusiasm for life.”

Inner Wheel was established in Manchester in 1924 as the sister organisation of Rotary. It continues to grow as new clubs are set up and now has more than 100,000 members in over 104 countries. The organisation aims to promote true friendship, encourage the ideals of personal service and foster international understanding.

Inner Wheel Clubs undertake a number of fundraising activities and support local, national and international good causes, including the annual Chairman’s charity, and we are so grateful that Lesley chose Canine Partners – thank you to her and all of her team for their support!

Would you like to raise money for Canine Partners?

Find out more by visiting our Fundraising Page.

 

Volunteer of the Month – Meet Breeding Department Volunteer Liz, from Lincolnshire

Liz has been a Breeding Department Volunteer since 2018, helping to bring the next generation of amazing assistance dogs into the world!

Liz describes how she became involved with Canine Partners:

“I had initially been interested in the role of a puppy parent, but it was suggested to me that I may like to consider a role with the Breeding Department looking after a canine partner mum – I wasn’t aware that the latter role existed.  As I have become more involved with Canine Partners and got to know a few partnerships, it never fails to amaze me how clever these dogs are.

My initial meeting with Canine Partners to discuss becoming a Breeding Department Volunteer was in March 2018.  I then had my first foster dog (a four month old pup from a breeder) in September 2018; she stayed with me for about six weeks.  My brood bitch, a black Labrador called Thelma (affectionately known as Thellie), was placed with me in January 2019.”

Liz describes what her role as a Breeding Department Volunteer involves:

“I look after Thellie on a daily basis, ensuring she is healthy, exercised, fed and happy.  At her last season, there were several trips to the vets for pre-mating blood tests and then I delivered the blood sample to the laboratory for testing.  Although Thellie was mated at her last season, unfortunately the mating was not successful.  So, we will keep fingers and paws crossed for better luck in the future.

Obviously, I was disappointed that Thellie didn’t get pregnant, but I have had chance to visit a few new litters of puppies so hopefully I have a basic grasp on what is required when the time comes.

Thellie and I were on a stand at a country show last year, trying to recruit new Breeding Department Volunteers.  I helped to man the Canine Partners Plant Creche at the RHS Show at Chatsworth in June 2019, and have also attended other fund-raising events.”

Liz describes her experience of being a Canine Partners volunteer:

“Firstly, I have a gorgeous dog who gives me lots of pleasure and keeps me active and I can’t wait to see her become a mum. Secondly, I have met some lovely, like minded people so Canine Partners has helped to expand my social circle. Finally, and probably most importantly, I never fail to be amazed at how a trained dog can change someone’s life so profoundly.  To be a small part in this process is reward in itself.

Unfortunately, Thellie’s initial mating was not successful and it looks like the Covid-19 will put a hold on her being mated at her next season; so it could be 2021 before she has her first litter.  However, I am still excited at the future prospect of her having puppies, although it may be more delayed than we had initially hoped and planned for.  This will be a first-time experience for both of us, so we will be relying heavily on the experience and support of the Breeding Department.”

Become a volunteer for Canine Partners during our 30th anniversary year:

There are lots of ways you can volunteer for Canine Partners during our 30th year. To find out more, please visit caninepartners.org.uk/volunteering

Thank you to our At Home Superheroes!

Canine Partners are official Charity Friends of the Superhero Series, the UK’s one and only disability sports series, and we were delighted that some of our partners took part in the At Home Superheroes event during lockdown.

Participants could do their own personal challenge over any distance, in any place, and in any way they liked, from walking to wheeling, or cycling to swimming.

Many of our Heroes took part with their canine partner by their side, and decided on a variety of physical challenges including:

  • Covering the 20km (or even further) suggested by the challenge, including Rosie and canine partner Barnabus, Ruth and canine partner Delia, Sandra and canine partner Sherling who covered the distance by doing laps of their local park, and Miriam and canine partner Nelson who covered 40km over a week in June
  • Vickie smashed her 300 mile target and covered over 400 miles on her bike
  • Miriam did ‘10k her own way’ by doing 10,000 reps of core or arm strengthening exercises, including crunches and push ups
  • Rowena ran 200km in over four weeks with her pet chocolate Labrador, Chip
  • Jax did 20km in her manual wheelchair with canine partner Kingston, working together as ‘Team Kingston’

Thank you to all of our Heroes, you are all champions in our eyes!

Feeling inspired to take on a challenge for Canine Partners?

Check out our Fit for 30 Challenge and help us celebrate our 30th year.

Give your Hula hoop a spin! | Fit for 30 Challenge

The Fit for 30 Challenge is taking place over the 30 days of September to help raise the vital funds we need to continue our life-transforming work.

The Fit for 30 Challenge can be any activity as long as you are getting fit – mentally or physically! From running 30 miles or walking for 30 minutes, to doing 30 minutes of meditation or completing 30 crossword puzzles. Whatever your age or ability, you can take part!

Help to inspire others by sharing photos or videos of your challenge on social media using the official hashtag #fitfor30challenge to be part of the campaign.

Every extra step you take, whether it’s running, wheeling or learning, will inspire your friends and family to support you in your Fit for 30 Challenge.

Get those hips moving and raise vital funds to help us transform lives. Sign up for the Fit for 30 Challenge today and help to transform lives this September. Find out more and sign up here.

 

Get crafty and creative for Canine Partners!

‘Create & Celebrate’ will include an art exhibition, a craft sale, and hopefully an opportunity to see our amazing dogs in action, and aims to raise much needed funds for Canine Partners.

Two very talented artists have created exclusive designs for the event – Nicky Barfoot has created four designs of our dogs doing tasks which can be used on mugs, coasters and greetings cards, while Shannon Christine has designed a cross stitch pattern of Garon, a canine partner to Becca, for people to make and donate for sale. You can find the pattern on the Facebook page for the event if you’d like to stitch and donate your version.

Olive started supporting Canine Partners in 2015 when she was looking for a small charity that involved people and dogs where she felt her funds raised would make a difference.  She was living in Haslemere, near to our Southern training centre, at the time, so felt Canine Partners was an obvious choice and created her ‘Textile Art Challenge’ event to raise money.

Olive says: “The Canine Partners family embraced me and the idea and we raised in excess of £2,000.  During this time I met many partnerships and saw the liberating impact the dogs have on their partners. I have continued to support Canine Partners ever since, including a coffee morning in our village in Scotland, where we retired to, which raised over £800.

Olive is now looking for items for the craft sale and exhibition, which she hopes will also be a great opportunity for emerging artists and students to have their work seen in two very busy and prestigious venues.

Would you like to get involved?

Check out Olive’s Facebook page, where you can find out more, including the lovely cross stitch pattern and how to donate other craft items for the sale.

Have you been able to Paws for a Cuppa?

Paws for a Cuppa invites you to host a tea party with friends and family and raise much needed funds for Canine Partners.

Many of our events have had to be cancelled during lockdown, and so Paws for a Cuppa is a way to still get together safely to show your support. Lots of you have already taken part, including Sally and her canine partner Dudley who chose a posh afternoon tea theme and raised an amazing £1,166, Wilma and her canine partner Belle who held two events and raised £600 in total, and Penny (pictured) and her husband Doug who raised nearly £500.

If you’d like to host your own party, you can still take part by clicking the link below. And we’d like to say a big thank you to all of our fundraisers, we hope you enjoyed your cuppas!

Would you like to take part?

Check out our Paws for a Cuppa page, where you can find out more and download our free e-pack.

Tesco Bags of Help supports Bedfordshire canine partner puppy

Bags of Help is Tesco’s local community grant scheme where the money raised by the carrier bag charge in Tesco stores is being used to fund thousands of community projects.

Yoyo is a yellow Labrador and she has just had her first birthday. Volunteers have been taking care of puppy Yoyo for the past year and, along with all her classmates in Bedford, she has had a very different experience to what the charity would have planned for her. Weekly classes and outings in the local neighbourhood and further afield all ceased during Lockdown and Yoyo’s training became home-based. The charity has instead moved quickly to produce a wide variety of over 60 training, welfare and activity videos. This kept Yoyo and her puppy parents busy as she continued to learn new tasks and enjoy her training.

Yoyo is now getting out much more and learning about the world and, thanks to the funding from Tesco’s Bags of Help scheme, it is hoped she will move on to be considered for matching with one of the charity’s many clients on the waiting list for one of these very special dogs.

So from Yoyo, and all of us, thank you to Tesco Bags of Help for this fantastic support!

Get involved

There are so many ways you can get involved and help raise awareness and money for Canine Partners. To find out more, please visit our Fundraising page.

Drop and give us zen! | Fit for 30 Challenge

The Fit for 30 Challenge is taking place over the 30 days of September to help raise the vital funds we need to continue our life-transforming work.

The Fit for 30 Challenge can be any activity as long as you are getting fit – mentally or physically! From running 30 miles or walking for 30 minutes, to doing 30 minutes of meditation or completing 30 crossword puzzles. Whatever your age or ability, you can take part!

Help to inspire others by sharing photos or videos of your challenge on social media using the official hashtag #fitfor30challenge to be part of the campaign.

Every extra step you take, whether it’s running, wheeling or learning, will inspire your friends and family to support you in your Fit for 30 Challenge.

Whether you’re practicing Downward Dog or Puppy Pose, find out more and sign up today here.

 

Volunteer of the Month – Meet Event and Office Volunteer Marion, from Heyshott

Marion has been an Event and Office Volunteer in Heyshott since 2016, helping to highlight the work of Canine Partners to as many local people as possible, whilst generating much-needed funds for the Charity.

Marion describes how she became involved with Canine Partners:

“I wanted to give something back to society when I retired, and Canine Partners is such a worthwhile cause. Canine Partners is a local charity but I didn’t know much about it, although I had seen the dogs and their trainers in Midhurst from time to time. I love dogs and was keen to see what they could be trained to do. I am so glad that I found out more and offered my time to support the training of these amazing dogs that change people’s lives.”

Marion describes what her role as an Event and Office Volunteer involves:

“My role is varied, and includes writing thank you letters / emails for donations received from fundraising events, individual donations, challenges, talks to groups, collection tin donations etc. I also send out information leaflets, posters, collecting tins for events in the community, and do regular stock checks of merchandise ready for sale at community events.”

I am a retired headteacher and that role involved working with all sorts of different people in different situations. This allows me to fit into an office setting and adapt to the requirements of each person that I have worked with. I am also very organised and this really helps with the variety of tasks that I do. Education was always changing with new initiatives and ideas being introduced, which means that I am quick to learn and pick up new skills particularly when using IT.”

Marion describes her experience of being a Canine Partners volunteer:

“There is always a warm welcome, and all members of staff are friendly and approachable. As a volunteer in any role you can help to transform people’s lives, and at Heyshott you can see the dogs in action (whilst not disrupting their training) and enjoy a dog-friendly office.

There is a role for everyone depending on your skills and the time you can give, and it is really appreciated by everyone. I love being part of a team and knowing that each person is important in their individual role and contributes to the charity as a whole. Volunteers are really appreciated by staff.

Seeing Partners matched with their dogs and having their lives transformed at the end of the process is so wonderful. I have been lucky enough to hear Partners talk about the impact that having a dog has made to their lives particularly with regard to improving their confidence and engagement with other people. It is always very moving and reminds me of why I support Canine Partners.”

Become a volunteer for Canine Partners during our 30th anniversary year:

There are lots of ways you can volunteer for Canine Partners during our 30th year. To find out more, please visit caninepartners.org.uk/volunteering