Sarah has been volunteering as a Community Group Member in Kent since 2013, highlighting Canine Partners to as many local people and organisations as possible, generating funds and fundraising opportunities, and engaging with and supporting Partnerships in the local area.

Sarah describes how she became involved with Canine Partners:

“From quite an early age I recognised how much animals simply take you for who you are
regardless of what you look like, and how comforting it was during difficult or upsetting times to
have the company of a soft and furry pet to stroke which can relax and calm you just with a look
or a manner such as a lick or soft paw on your hand. I wanted to devote more of my time and my professional business and commercial skills to assisting a charity which focussed on enabling people through the provision of specially trained animals.

I had not come across Canine Partners before, but my research showed I could sensibly get to
the Southern Training Centre, so I visited an event at Canary Wharf to see at a distance the charity in action, and to chat to staff, volunteers and Partnerships. I was hugely impressed, so
introduced myself, and later agreed to help on a voluntary basis alongside work.”

Sarah describes what her role as a Community Group Member involves:

“My role is varied and encompasses many things, including arranging, promoting and running local events, maintaining and organising branded merchandise, organising and delivering talks to local groups, arranging collection tins, and liaising with local businesses to generate fundraising opportunities.

Whatever your interest, ability, skill or amount of time there is something for everyone to do
wherever you live, which will contribute towards creating more life changing partnerships. Even if you are allergic to dogs, there is so much required ‘behind the scenes’ which can be done
from home or travelling around without coming into contact with any of the dogs in training or
partnerships – from collecting stamps and coins to identifying sources of revenue, to delivering
and collecting in donation tins to doing something you enjoy, from cooking to sewing to running,
while raising money for Canine Partners.

The more volunteers Canine Partners have to carry out the wide range of tasks needed across
the country all year round, the more those at the Training Centres can focus on the
strategic matters, high profile connections and essential training, so the more monies and time
can go towards training more dogs to transform more lives.”

Sarah describes her experience of being a Canine Partners volunteer:

“As well as volunteering taking over my life and speeding up the volume of natural silver tints in my
hair(!), it has humbled me and enriched my life given the range of amazing people and animals it has
brought me into contact with and I have had the privilege to meet.

The most rewarding thing about volunteering for Canine Partners is knowing that your time, effort and any frustrations along the way are all going towards providing a lifeline for disabled individuals and enabling them and their families to have their lives changed so positively. This could be something I, any member of my family, or anyone I know, could need in the future as our lives can change so dramatically in an instant.”

Become a volunteer for Canine Partners during our 30^th 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

 

Ewen has been a volunteer Fosterer for Canine Partners for six years, currently looking after his 47^th foster dog from the Advanced Training programme. He is also a Volunteer Speaker, Foster Coordinator and Driver. This is his story.

I am a volunteer Fosterer for Canine Partners, taking in a dog for 17 consecutive weeks or short term while they are in the Advanced Training programme at the charity’s Southern Training Centre. The dogs live on site from 9am on a Monday morning until 4pm on a Friday afternoon, and then they have chill time at the weekend where they relax and recharge their batteries at a Fosterer’s house.

Our current lodger, Paz, is the 47^th Canine Partners guest to stay with us. Some are short stay and usually get a spell of cat familiarisation with our two feline hosts, Jazz and Jango, while Paz is the 19^th regular visitor who is staying with us for 17 consecutive weekends throughout the Advanced Training course.  At the time of this being written (May 2020), Paz is a full time member of our household due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as restrictions remain in force.

I volunteer as the Foster Coordinator at the Southern Training Centre, which encompasses both the Advanced Training and Aftercare Teams together with handling all website enquiries from people who want to become a Fosterer. I look after a combined network of 80 homes, 60 of which provide weekend fostering and 20 homes providing 24/7 long term or rehab foster support. In support of my Foster Coordinator voluntary role, I am also a Volunteer Driver.  I conduct new fosterer home checks, transfer dogs in and out of foster on behalf of the Aftercare Team, and occasionally carry out rehoming checks for a withdrawn or retired canine partner.

Since November 2014 I have also been a Volunteer Speaker, which includes speaking about the charity at local groups such as schools and youth groups, Women’s Institutes, Lunch clubs and everything in-between! Along with the rest of the Volunteer Speaker Network, our role is to help educate young people and adults about disability and how assistance dogs from Canine Partners can a help.

Canine Partners is a great charity that makes a real difference to people’s lives. I looked for a voluntary role as I wanted to give something back when I finished my career with the Royal Navy. My job entailed a lot of time at sea and away from home and my family, meaning having a dog had not been possible although I had grown up with one and have always been a dog fan. Canine Partners is local to me as I live on the coast by Chichester, West Sussex, so it brought everything together very neatly.

Being a military logistician and HR specialist in my professional life means I have skills in organising and dealing with people. I like chatting and meeting new people – both the Foster Coordinator and Speaker roles offer loads of opportunities to do that whilst actively promoting the charity.

Canine Partners has a good combination of freedom of action and helpful support – I take on any of the people and admin aspects of fostering, which means the Advanced Training and Aftercare Teams can focus on the dogs and partners. The charity is a friendly and inclusive community with the staff and volunteers. There is a wealth of different volunteering opportunities that can take up as little or as much time as you are happy to give. You have the satisfaction of knowing you are helping to make a tangible difference to people’s quality of life – and of course there is always an underlying forest of waggy tails to sweeten the deal!

Jim has been volunteering for Canine Partners for over 10 years in various roles across the charity. He has fostered over 60 dogs during this time. This is his story:

I volunteer for Canine Partners in three ways – I am a regular Fosterer for dogs in Advanced Training; an Office Volunteer two days a week and I’m also a trained Speaker. I began to volunteer for Canine Partners after I lost my 11-year-old chocolate Labrador. Although I missed her, I did not want another pet dog. My daughter did a week of work experience in the kennels at the Southern Training Centre prior to her BSc and raved about it for the next month, so I found the concept of a weekend dog was just too appealing.

I have been a Fosterer for over 10 years, taking a dog home at the weekend for rest and relaxation. During this time I have to keep it safe and healthy, maintain all of the rules, protocols and disciplines put in place by Canine Partners, and I have to report the dog’s weekend behaviour to its Advanced Trainer on Monday morning. I normally foster a dog for about 17 consecutive weekends before starting over again with another dog that is new to the Advanced Training programme.

After a while during my weekend dog collection and delivery, I was asked to ‘look at’ a broken spreadsheet. This turned into my role as an Office Volunteer on Mondays and Fridays, which I have been doing now for over nine years. Not only do I absolutely love dogs, I also have a lifetime of working in the IT industry and a fondness for showboating with spreadsheets. I help with database administration as well as designing, maintaining, amending and fixing spreadsheets. I also help with relocating spiders and making tea too!

Around 18 months after I became an Office Volunteer, I attended an internal speaker training course. I now help to raise awareness of Canine Partners as part of the charity’s Volunteer Speaker Network. I deliver one hour talks to community groups in my area, such as Masons, WI, U3A, Probus and Rotary clubs. These are usually to a group of 15 – 70 people. I have experience of giving talks at conferences and a love of talking about my passion – I relish showing slides of cute puppies and amazing dogs, plus watching money going into a collection box for the charity!

The most rewarding thing about volunteering at Canine Partners, other than being ‘cared for’ by fantastic staff and being around gorgeous dogs, has to be seeing, first-hand, the incredible bond between a partner and their dog. Knowing that I may have been an incredibly small cog in the transformation of someone’s life is a privilege that money can’t buy.

I think others should volunteer for Canine Partners because it is an extraordinary charity, a very welcoming work environment and it provides an opportunity to make a difference to other people’s lives. Having worked for the charity for over 10 years, I have never experienced an ‘off-day’. I relish all my volunteering roles – and have a lot of fun!

Bonnie has been a supporter of Canine Partners for over 20 years but is now a Meet and Greet Dog Handler with her black Labrador, Arthur. This is her story:

I have been a supporter of Canine Partners for over 20 years, through ‘spreading the word’, My Amazing Puppy and other fundraising activities. In my medical career as a GP I understand the struggles and challenges folks with physical disabilities and their loved ones have to deal with. I was drawn to Canine Partners because of the wonderful work the charity does through the amazing dogs by enabling those with physical disabilities to not just regain independence but providing unconditional love, companionship and hope in the midst of difficult life changing health conditions.

To read the many moving stories partners share about the hope, love and so much more these dogs have brought into their lives really touched me. I have received much love and support from many over the years, it is right that I play my part in helping others. As a Christian, being a volunteer and contributing to the work of Canine Partners is a way of thanking God for all the blessings I have received. It is humbling that I can play a small part in helping to make someone’s life better.

When I retired I decided to become more involved. I help with the Fundraising Team in welcoming at reception, serving refreshments and tidying up after Information Sessions. I also look after three collection boxes in the village.

In July 2015 I became Puppy Parent to Arthur, a black Labrador. It may sound strange but I still remember the sense of responsibility and awe when I collected this black bundle. I was part of something very special, his journey to become a Canine Partner. Sadly, Arthur was diagnosed with hip dysplasia at 13 months old and had to come out of training. I felt a huge sense of loss for him that his opportunity to become a canine partner was taken away. I continued to look after Arthur while he waited for his forever home. Eventually it dawned on me that my home was the home Arthur had been waiting for. He officially joined my family in August 2016. At first Lottie, my standard poodle was not keen on that idea but she soon got over the shock. They are now the best of friends.

Despite not being a canine partner Arthur has been a busy ambassador for the charity. He is part of the Meet and Greet Team demonstrating the core skills of touch, tug and retrieve at Info Sessions and other Canine Partner events.

We also take every opportunity to talk about the work of Canine Partners through our regular nursing home visits and when Arthur accompanies me to my local hospice where I am a volunteer on the chaplaincy team. He provides that special comfort and support to patients and their loved ones as only pets are able to.

In the last few months all our lives have been changed because of the Coronavirus. Life has become a lot harder for many especially those with physical disabilities. I know that Canine Partners, like many charities, will be facing financial challenges. Please continue to do what you can in whatever ways you are able to support the wonderful work of Canine Partners.

Penny has been a Fosterer for Canine Partners for 13 years. She is also an Office, Volunteer, a Speaker and an Events Volunteer. This is her story:

My husband and I started volunteering for Canine Partners with weekend fostering in 2007 and I have worked in the office one day a week ever since I retired in 2012.

After an initial introduction to the charity when my school took Canine Partners on as their charity for the year, we started looking after dogs in advanced training at the weekends. Since retiring, we provide foster care for dogs needing to recover from an illness, for a partner who is unwell or for dogs who are not suitable for the demands of a working life and are waiting for the right pet home to become available. It is fascinating to see the different characters and help them to settle with us for however long a period, which can be just several weeks or a few months.

As well as the fostering I work with the Puppy Office and, primarily, write to the breeders and sponsors to let them know how their pups are getting on with their initial training with their volunteer puppy parents. My 39 years of writing reports on children has come in handy! I also make the initial contact with people who enquire about becoming puppy parents. As well as these tasks, I give talks to groups of all ages about the work of the charity and especially enjoy going into schools and Brownie and Cub packs to encourage them to think about what can be done to help people with physical disabilities. Their questions never fail to impress me with the mature understanding and compassion they show.

The most rewarding thing about volunteering for Canine Partners is getting to know amazing people who have physical disabilities. I also love getting to know the staff and volunteers, who are all passionate about the charity, but most of all getting to know so many dogs and learning new skills to maintain their training and take care of their welfare. They give us so much.

Other people should volunteer for Canine Partners as everyone is so friendly and supportive – we have a good laugh too! The staff are very appreciative of the occasional cake making I do too! Since becoming a volunteer for Canine Partners I have learnt so much, visited places I would not have been to ordinarily, and I have met interesting and inspirational people who have taught me so much.