Guide Dogs – an exciting future ahead
Puppy walking at school
On the campaign trail
And much more…

Here’s what you’ll receive

5 Welcome
6 News
10 View from the top
Looking ahead with our CEO
11 Guide Dogs in the media
Highlights of our coverage
18 A day in the life of…
Ben, our youngest guide dog owner
37 What’s on
Guide Dogs’ diary
46 Letters and caption competition
14
30 Thank you to our supporters
33 In memory
34 We’ll never forget
38 New partnerships
Please recycle this magazine
17
26
12 Gearing up for Guide
Dogs Week
It’s just round the corner
24 Breaking down barriers
Guide Dogs’ partnership with
South City College
14 Guide Dogs and Blue
Peter
Iggy pup inspires a new generation
25 My Guide – growing in confidence
Building links in local communities
16 Pleased to meet you
Introducing Pete
Osborne, Hull
Mobility Team
Manager
26 Small changes, big difference
Taking care of our environment
17 Power to the puppy room
A great new partnership
20 Guide Dogs – an exciting future ahead
Special feature
26 The Blind Drive challenge
An exciting day!
19 On the campaign trail
Building on our successes
27 Claire’s story
A heartwarming testimony
28 Top marks for puppy Petal
A guide dog pup goes to school
23 Caped crusaders
Our Dogs Unite headline event
29 Piper’s a popular pup
Puppy walking in
Jersey
7415 07/14
Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014 3

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045325_GD_LEGACY_ATL_PRESS_250x173mm_v9.indd 1 09/10/2013 14:37

Well, it’s been a pretty busy summer for everyone at
Guide Dogs. We got off to a flying start in June, with our headline Dogs Unite event at Queen Elizabeth Park in London. It was a great success, bringing together hundreds of dogs and their owners to raise money for
Guide Dogs – you can read all about it on page 23.
Hot on the heels of Dogs
Unite was another very special event: on 19 June we introduced the world to Iggy, our Blue Peter puppy, featured on page
14. We’re all delighted that a new generation of children are following
Iggy’s progress and learning just what an amazing difference she’ll one day make to a person who is blind or partially sighted.
Now we’re looking forward to an even busier autumn, with Guide Dogs Week just round the corner. This year once again we’ll be asking everyone to Stand Out for
Guide Dogs, helping to put our work in the spotlight and spreading the message about our life-changing partnerships. It’s going to be great fun and I can’t wait to see what inventive ways you all find to get involved.
Best wishes
Tracey Gurr
Editor: Tracey Gurr
Editorial Line: 0118 983 8811
Contributors: Lucy Llewelyn,
Hannah Vickers, Rachael
Smith, Hannah Robertson,
Claire Devine, James Kell.
Designed by: Guide Dogs guidedogs.org.uk
Contributions: Send items to
Forward at the Head
Office address or email forward@guidedogs.org.uk
.
Unfortunately, due to the sheer volume of ideas we receive, we cannot acknowledge every item. We reserve the right to edit or refuse. Forward is available in Braille, large print, audio CD and online as audio and text files. It is also available as a PDF from our website and in a range of languages – for this and mailing enquiries call
0870 240 6993
Founding Editor: The late
Captain Nikolai Liakhoff MBE
FRZS
.
Registered Head Office: The
Guide Dogs for the Blind
Association, Hillfields, Burghfield
Common, Reading RG7 3YG
Tel: 0118 983 5555
Fax: 0118 983 5433 www.guidedogs.org.uk
Email: info@guidedogs.org.uk
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Full colour advertising is available in Forward.
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Any products or services advertised in Forward by third parties are not in any way endorsed by Guide Dogs and Guide Dogs shall not be responsible for the accuracy of any information contained in such advertisements nor has it investigated or verified any of the information.
Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014 5

Over 2,000 people have taken part in our survey telling us about their bus travel experiences. The results show there are still not enough buses with audio visual (AV) next stop and final destination announcements. This is resulting in people missing their bus stops and preventing people from getting around as independently as they’d like.
Next month we’ll be talking to politicians at the three main party political conferences about the importance of Talking Buses. We’ll tell them about our survey responses and ask them to think about their position on Talking Buses ahead of next year’s election. Keep up-to-date with our party conference work on Twitter, Facebook and our website.
Guide Dogs has been selected as one of the six beneficiary charities of ITV’s Text
Santa appeal.
Text Santa, ITV’s annual charity fundraiser, will return in December
2014 to raise money and awareness for six UK-based charities. The appeal has raised £15 million for charities since it started in 2011.
Viewers will be encouraged to support our life-changing work with people who are blind or partially sighted, and to attract as many donations as possible; Guide
Dogs will receive a sixth of the total raised. For more information, please visit www.textsanta.co.uk
Improvements are to be made to Aberystwyth Bus
Station following a successful campaign influenced by Guide Dogs Cymru. Blind and partially sighted people, including local guide dog owners, said they felt at risk after Ceredigion Council redesigned the station as a shared surface – where the footway and carriageway are at the same level – with poor colour contrast. An access report by Guide Dogs strengthened the case and the council has agreed to make major changes. Engagement Manager
Andrea Gordon said: “This is very welcome news and puts a marker down in Wales that says we mean business when we talk about campaigning for an inclusive environment.”
In three years we have bred over
4,400 puppies who will transform thousands of lives. Could you help our National Breeding Centre do even more with an annual gift of
£1,000? We’d love your support – please call 0118 983 8350 or email karen.barns@guidedogs.org.uk
6 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014

On 27 May we launched
Blind Children
UK (formerly
National Blind
Children’s
Society). As regular readers will know, Guide
Dogs joined forces with the children’s charity last year with the aim of supporting many more of the UK’s 30,000 children and young people with sight loss, and their families.
As part of the launch, we released new figures revealing that the number of children being registered blind or partially sighted has increased by nine per cent since 2006.
Our report was taken up by national and regional media, with highlights including BBC
Breakfast, BBC
Radio 5 Live and
Sky News.
We have a Volunteer Voices group in many of our mobility teams. These groups are made up of different volunteers from the local team.
Volunteers can give feedback to their Volunteer Voices representative, which then goes to local and national teams, including Executive
Board, where relevant. If you want to have your say or find out who your local Volunteer Voice representatives are, visit guidedogs.org.uk
for details of your local team.
Guide Dogs has launched a website to help guide dog and other assistance dog owners travel abroad with confidence.
It provides general advice and guidance to help assistance dog owners with the things they need to think about prior to travel, whilst they are away and when they re-enter the
UK. Visit the website at assistancedogtravel.org.uk
Guide dog owner Verity Smith is hoping to go for gold at the
Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. A talented dressage rider (as well as a singer-songwriter and author),
Verity has competed for Para
Team GB and also competes in able-bodied events. As part of her bid for Rio, Verity is raising money for both Guide Dogs and Riding for the Disabled. In an interview with international news network
CNN, Verity said, “When I ride it’s like flying. My feet never touch the ground.” To find out more about
Verity and how you can support her, visit Verity’s website: www.verity-smith.com
Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014
7

Assistance dogs in Edinburgh’s Botanic Gardens
Edinburgh’s Botanic Gardens hosted an Assistance
Dogs Day in June to highlight the accessibility of this popular attraction. It also provided a great platform for Guide Dogs and other assistance dog charities to showcase their work. Visitors enjoyed tours of the gardens, learnt more about the various assistance dogs and took blindfolded walks with a guide dog.
Chris McCoy from VisitScotland said: “It was a terrific way to highlight the difference these wonderful animals make and get people thinking about how they can make their own businesses more accessible.”
Lloyds Banking Group introduced 1,200 talking cash machines across the UK last year to make banking more manageable for visually impaired customers and those with other disabilities. All new cash machines also offer this service, enabling numbers to increase year on year. This is an ongoing programme with the long term aim of rolling them out to the entire Lloyds’ estate of about 7,000 cash machines across the UK. Customers can find their nearest talking machine by speaking to their local branch or visiting LINK.co.uk
Guide dog owner Brian McDonagh was recently celebrated at the
Spirit of NI awards, winning the
Unsung Hero award.
After losing his sight, the 41-yearold from Omagh fell into a deep depression, until he was matched with guide dog Innis. Now he gives inspirational talks to encourage people that there is life after blindness.
About the award he said: “To be named the winner has taken me aback. It lets you know you’re doing something right.”
Nominations for the Guide Dogs
Annual Awards
2014 have now closed but there’s still time for companies to buy sponsorship or a table for the glamorous event on 10 December at the London
Hilton Park Lane, or to offer prizes – please call
0118 983 8392.
8 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014

Guide Dogs volunteer Sandra Waspe, from Suffolk, has received the British Empire Medal for services to Guide Dogs in East Anglia. Sandra’s husband, Graham, is a guide dog owner. Sandra started volunteering for Guide Dogs in 1969, collecting milk bottle tops to recycle. She became one of the original committee members of Bury St Edmunds group, and is now treasurer and trading secretary for Stowmarket group, which she started in 2009. She’s also a speaker and speaker co-ordinator for East Anglia.
Sandra said: “I wouldn’t have received this honour without the help of all the people I’ve worked with, and the generosity of the public. People are very generous not only with their donations, but also with their spirit.”
Wedding favours
Newly-weds can support
Guide Dogs on their special day by giving their guests personalised and unique wedding favours. There is a range of professionally produced cards, pin badges and fluffy pups. The favours can be delivered across the UK for a small postage fee. For more information, please contact 0845 3727
402 or email weddings@ guidedogs.org.uk awarded a commendation certificate by the British
Transport Police Assistant
Chief Constable. It is in recognition of the work he did in supporting them in improving relationships with the communities they serve, blind and partially sighted passengers in particular.
attempted burglary in
Holywell, North Wales. The five-year-old black labrador retriever cross barked loudly to alert his sleeping owner,
Mike Webster, to a trio of would-be intruders at a bedroom window. “He is a bit of a hero,” said Mike.
New ID in place
By now all guide dog owners, as well as other assistance dog owners, will have their
Assistance Dogs UK ID book.
Effectively it acts as a kind of passport, making it easier for service providers to recognise the legitimacy of a dog and owner trained by a recognised training organisation and their rights, within reason, to have a dog in places where pet dogs are normally excluded.
Celebrating 50 years
Since 1964, Alan Roberts has had seven guide dogs, all German shepherds. His dogs have taken him on some amazing walks in the Lake District. Alan said:
“There’s nothing better than doing a walk alone around
Derwentwater listening to the sound of birds singing echoing off the mountains.”
A commendation for John
John Welsman, Guide Dogs’
Policy Business Partner (travel and transport), has been
Rocky foils intruders
Guide dog Rocky proved himself a real champion when he foiled an
Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014 9

As regular readers will know, the first week of June was
National Volunteers’ Week which gave us the chance to say a huge thank you to our thousands of volunteers.
Whether you’re a puppy walker, driver, collection box coordinator; whether you raise money on the high street, speak to children about our work, help with
Manchester Mobility Team say thank you to their volunteers administration or PR, or any of the other myriad roles taken on by volunteers, we are extremely grateful for your time, talent and energy. and it is clear Microsoft are putting huge resource, skills and expertise into it. The programme is progressing well, and we’ll update you more comprehensively in the next issue of Forward.
I was privileged to meet around 130 volunteers at a really interesting event we hosted during Volunteers’
Week at our National
Breeding Centre, where we all learned a great deal about volunteering – the joys and the challenges!
Since the last edition of
Forward I’ve also travelled further afield, visiting
Microsoft in Seattle, USA, with
Jenny Cook, our Head of
Strategy and Research. We were there for their ‘Ability
Summit’ promoting the ground-breaking work that
Guide Dogs and Microsoft have been doing together over the last three years. We met Satya Nadella, Microsoft
CEO and sponsor of our
Cities Unlocked programme, which aims to open up the urban landscape for people with sight loss. Guide
Dogs is at the heart of this technological breakthrough,
Talking of progress, I’m sure you’ll agree it’s vital for charities to strive constantly to get better at what they do. We rely on the generosity of the public and we owe it to our donors to make sure we offer the best possible services to people with sight loss. That’s why, over the last two years, we’ve been testing a new way of working and training our dogs which will have benefits for our service users, volunteers, staff and the dogs themselves. It will mean we can tailor our services even more closely to the needs of individuals who are blind or partially sighted and increase the number of people we’re able to support. There’s a special feature on it later in the magazine – I hope you’ll be as excited about it as I am.
10 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014

The website reported that guide dog puppies are now allowed on Virgin Atlantic Little Red services from Manchester to London as part of their training. The story also appeared in
The Sun and Our Dog magazine.
Guide dog owner Kirsten Barrett from
Bridgend talked about the attack on her former guide dog, Norman.
Guide dog owner Kerry Singleton, her young family and guide dog Harley, featured on this new show for younger viewers.
Hollyoaks actress Jorgie
Porter, among other celebrities, supported our Dogs Unite launch event at Queen
Elizabeth Olympic Park,
London (see page 23).
Ahead of the event,
Jorgie showed her support for hero guide dogs by stepping out as their superhero sidekick, which was covered by the Mirror Online ,
Vogue magazine blog,
London24.com
and
Digital Spy . Jorgie also appeared in a video on Guide Dogs’ You Tube channel and Dogs
Unite featured in The Mail on Sunday , Time
Out magazine and Wharf magazine.
And of course… Iggy the new Blue Peter guide dog pup has been appearing on our screens this summer – see more of her on page 14.
Guide dog owners
Mark and Claire
Gaffey appeared on the programme after getting married.
The couple say it’s all thanks to their guide dogs, who hit it off when they attended the same training course. The story also featured in Best and Closer magazines in April.
Tony Brown-Griffin appeared on The
One Show when her guide and seizure alert dog, Hetty, won the Heroic Hound award at SuperDogs
Live, part of the
London Pet Show.
Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014 11

Not only is Guide Dogs Week great fun, it’s also a fantastic opportunity to get important messages across. This year we’re focusing on our Talking Buses campaign, calling on the government to introduce audio visual announcements on all new buses – crucial for passengers with sight loss.
Get on board the Stand Out bus
During September, in the lead-up to Guide Dogs
Week, our bright yellow Stand Out bus will tour the
UK. Setting out from the London Transport Museum after our official launch on 4 September, the bus will visit Birmingham, Cardiff, Liverpool and
Glasgow, before heading back to London.
This will be a bus like no other, with exciting on-board experiences and the chance for everyone – including dogs! – to sign our petition for Talking Buses.
Donate an hour We’re asking people to donate an hour of their time during Guide Dogs Week to help us continue our vital work. There are lots of ways you can do this, including taking part in one of our brilliant Let’s
Glow activities:
Let’s Glow – Collect Take part in a local Guide
Dogs collection – or host your own collection in your workplace or social group using our Guide Dogs Week envelopes.
Let’s Glow – Dress in Neon On Friday 10 October we want the whole UK to glow! Ask everyone you know to go to work wearing neon and help us light up the nation.
Let’s Glow – Together From coffee mornings to zumbathons – we’d love you to get together with friends and family and host your own event. Why not host a cake sale and decorate your cupcakes in neon colours or hold a neon party?
Download and print our design at guidedogs.org.
uk/GDW2014 Send photos of your little big bus on tour to campaigns@ guidedogs.org.uk
or use
#littlebigbus on Facebook or Twitter.
12 Forward Magazine | Winter 2014

Join in the fun
• Put up our Guide Dogs
Week poster, free inside this edition of Forward.
• Make your own Stand
Out bus – get your young friends to help!
• Buy our special Guide
Dogs Week pin badge from branches of
Specsavers or Pet Hut.
Look out for us at
Pet Hut’s national collection on 27 and 28 September.
• Sign our petition and get all your friends and family to do the same.
• Encourage everyone you know to donate an hour and join in our Let’s
Glow activities.
• Look out for the Stand
Out bus and hop on board if it comes to your city.
• Spread the word on
Facebook and Twitter.
For everything you need, visit our Guide Dogs Week website: guidedogs.org.uk/GDW2014
Forward Magazine | Winter 2014 13

It’s the latest chapter in a very special relationship between Guide Dogs and Blue Peter. We first joined forces with Blue Peter fifty years ago. Now it’s the turn of a new generation of children to gain a unique insight into the life of a guide dog.
That life started on 19 April at the National Breeding
Centre when the new puppy was born. The Blue Peter team named her Iggy, which is the name that Blue
Peter presenter, Lindsey Russell, chose.
Iggy first appeared on our screens on 19 June and
Blue Peter viewers are currently following her progress with the family who are her puppy walkers. Mum Anna says: “We’re massive fans of Blue Peter. Being asked to puppy walk Iggy is a fantastic opportunity – we couldn’t possibly have turned it down.”
14 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014

So far Iggy has been learning the basics, settling into her new home, getting used to wearing a collar and developing good social behaviour.
She’s also been making regular appearances on Blue Peter, winning the hearts of children and their families too. Lindsey Russell says: “Iggy is just so cute but she’s growing up fast and already learning so much that will help her become a great guide dog. I’m so proud of her.”
Increasingly, the family and Lindsey will familiarise Iggy with public transport and travelling in the car, and visit different environments such as town centres, shops and cafés. After about a year, she’ll go on to learn the skills she’ll need to become a guide dog. She’ll then be matched with someone who is blind or partially sighted and her life-changing career will begin.
To find out more about Iggy, tune in to Blue Peter at 5.30pm on Thursdays or visit the CBBC website – www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc
Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014 15

it, chairing the World Braille Council. “I was known as ‘Mr Braille’,” he laughs.
During those years, Pete also squeezed in a Masters in Business Administration and a qualification in voice coaching. “I enjoy teaching voice production and singing enormously,” he says. “I love bringing the sound out of people, building their confidence so they can inspire others with their voice.”
The move to Guide Dogs came when Pete was looking “for an organisation making a difference to real people’s lives.” So what’s he discovered in his first few months?
Our new Mobility Team Manager for Hull,
Pete Osborne, never thought his career would bring him to Guide Dogs, even though he’s a guide dog owner himself. He shares the path he’s taken and why he’s so pleased to have arrived.
For Pete, it’s an exciting time to work for
Guide Dogs, with the potential to help thousands more people with sight loss. “I’ve had loads of opportunities to get out and do things but I’m constantly reminded of the thousands that aren’t getting out. I have an affinity with them; that’s what drives me.”
Pete was born without any vision, and became a guide dog owner in 1990, while at Leeds University studying English and phonetics. “Leeds is a huge campus with
25,000 students,” Pete explains. “It was stressful getting around. I knew a guide dog would make a big difference to getting the most from student life.”
We asked Pete a few ‘Desert Island Discs’ questions:
What music would you take to your desert island? I can’t choose one piece – but I love all choral music. My dogs get used to lying on the floor listening to evensong.
He describes that difference as “absolutely astonishing” and is full of praise for the freedom guide dog Pip gave him.
What book would you choose?
‘Under Milk
Wood’ by Dylan Thomas – I love the brilliant if slightly crazy language.
Pete ran Braille production at the university, so when a similar job came up at RNIB, it was a logical next step. Pete believes strongly that Braille opens up opportunities in education and work and became a national and international advocate for
And your luxury item?
A ‘beans to cup’ coffee machine – a great coffee leads to a great day!
16 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014

A partnership between Guide Dogs and Nottingham Trent University’s Student Union (NTSU) is proving a big hit. It’s led to Guide Dogs being chosen as their charity of the year, and, as part of that, guide dog pups have been lending a relaxing paw to some over-stressed students.
The idea for a puppy room at Nottingham was suggested by an enterprising student who was influenced by similar set-ups in Canadian and Japanese universities. Closer to home, we also have puppy rooms at St Andrews and Aberdeen universities. They’re always hugely popular and a great way to fundraise too. NTSU is already over halfway to raising its target of £5,000 to name a puppy, thanks to student donations.
Staff and volunteers from NTSU and Guide Dogs’ Nottingham
Mobility Team supported the puppy room, making the day a real team effort. The students also talked to guide dog owners , finding out more about sight loss and the difference a guide dog makes to a person who’s blind or partially sighted.
Student Bryony O’Dowda said: “It was great to interact with the guide dogs and their owners and find out more about all the work that goes into their training. It most definitely took my mind away from the stress of third year deadlines!”
The ongoing partnership will help local puppy walkers, who’ve been welcomed with open arms, to walk their pups in the student union building. It’s a great way to familiarise pups with new sights, sounds and smells.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Mobility Team will offer students a range of exciting volunteering opportunities, including
My Guide partnerships. They’ll also support students running their own projects on behalf of Guide Dogs.
Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014 17

follows them upstairs and stays with
Ben while he cleans his teeth.
Ben and Logan take a taxi to school. “Logan’s totally won over the taxi driver,” Colette laughs, “but he knows how to behave!”
A very special set of circumstances brought Ben and Logan together: the positive approach of Ben’s family; the fantastic support of his special needs school; the dedication and skills of staff from the Newcastle Mobility Team; and one special guide dog. Logan had already been a guide dog and, at just under four years old, had developed a good sense of responsibility. Colette says: “Logan looks at Ben constantly. He really takes care of him. You can see the connection between them.”
The pair have practised various routes through the school, so Ben can walk around independently.
When Ben is in his classroom, however, Logan sleeps in a bed in the corner. “He’s fitted in with school life so well,” says Colette.
After a hard day at school, Ben likes to chill out – and Logan’s quite happy to relax with him too!
There’s always time for a game in the garden though, and on
Saturdays Ben goes swimming, with Logan guiding him right to the poolside. “The biggest difference Logan’s made is that
Ben can walk independently,” says Colette. “He doesn’t need to hold my hand any more.”
Ben may be young, but he’s taking the responsibility of caring for a guide dog seriously. He feeds Logan after school, grooms him and brushes his teeth too.
Colette says: “Ben is so proud when he goes out with Logan, and he’s given him so much confidence and independence.”
On a school day it’s Colette who’s up first, so she feeds Logan and takes him outside to relieve himself.
Logan then goes upstairs for a snooze with Ben, before Ben and his older brother Joe get up. After the boys have had breakfast, Logan
And what does Ben say about his new best friend?
“We’re both awesome!”
18 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014

The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing
Act came into force in May and any attacks on assistance dogs can now be treated as an aggravated offence, with penalties of up to three years’ imprisonment. It also introduces new powers for police to prevent these attacks from happening in the first place. This is a historic moment for the campaign and couldn’t have been achieved without the support of our campaigners. We will be monitoring the impact of this new law.
In July we hosted a Parliamentary
Reception on our Talking Buses campaign, calling for audio visual announcements to be installed on all new buses, letting passengers know the next stop and final destination. Many of our campaigners contacted their
MPs asking them to attend and find out why Talking Buses are so important. We’re now pulling together a report on people’s bus experiences following a survey in which a record number of people took part.
Last month we handed in a petition at 10 Downing
Street asking David Cameron to take part in a blindfolded walk so he can better understand the impact of street clutter on people with sight loss. We are waiting for a formal response to our petition. We’re also working with MPs to tackle the issue of pavement parking through a bill in parliament tabled by Martin Horwood MP.
Keep up-to-date on both these issues through our website: guidedogs.org.uk/campaigns
Quiet electric and hybrid cars are becoming more popular, but they are dangerous to pedestrians, who can’t hear them approaching. A new EU regulation voted through last year introduces the installation of sound generators on these vehicles. However, we are concerned that this regulation doesn’t go far enough as it also allows the fitting of a ‘pause switch’, meaning drivers can turn the noise generator off.
We will therefore be working with the Government to ensure that all quiet vehicles can be heard at all times.
Become a Guide Dogs campaigner by signing up online: guidedogs.org.uk/campaigns or call 0800 028 4348.
19 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014

20 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014

All the work we do at Guide Dogs is about getting out and living life. We know there are still about 180,000 blind and partially sighted people who rarely leave home alone. We’re passionate about changing that, so we need to ensure our services continue to grow and evolve – to help us reach more people and to make sure we meet their individual needs.
For the last two years, we’ve piloted a new way of working at sites across the UK, carrying out all the different stages of guide dog training in one location. At the moment, after puppy walking, a dog’s early training takes place in one of our four Guide Dog
Training Schools. Then they leave the training school and go to one of our 20 mobility teams for the next stage of their training with a Guide Dog Mobility Instructor (GDMI) who matches them with a blind or partially sighted person. This means that staff and volunteers who are based at our Guide Dog
Training Schools are not often able to follow the dogs’ progress once they leave, and that
GDMIs don’t get to meet the dogs during their early training.
For the pilots, we did all the training in the same place and the results show clearly that there are major advantages to this.
Firstly, even more of our dogs went on to become qualified guide dogs, and the time it took to train them was reduced. We were also able to match dogs and their potential new owners at an earlier stage, which means the dogs’ training can be closely tailored to suit the owners’ needs. The dogs no longer live in kennels as we recruit and train local volunteer boarders to care for them. This has enabled us to recruit more volunteers and it allows us to gain insight into how each dog behaves when living in a home environment, which can be very important for matching purposes.
Most importantly of all, the pilots showed that, with this way of working, we can create more guide dog partnerships each year, increasing the number of blind and partially sighted people we support.
We’ve learned a lot from the pilot studies.
They’ve really shown us the value of joining up all the different elements of our services in one place. It means that everyone, staff and volunteers, can work together even more closely. The next steps are to link in all our puppy walking schemes. This will mean our puppy walkers can see their pups progressing on to a local team where guide dog trainers and GDMIs train and match dogs to service users who live in the local area. Ollie Barton, Regional Director, explains:
“We want to create an ‘end-to-end’ way of working, which will link every staff member and volunteer with their local team. With everyone under the same roof, we will all have a better understanding of what each of us does and of how to better support our service users.
“Over the coming years, staff who currently work at our guide dog training schools will join staff from our mobility teams. They will all work in new facilities designed to support our service users, volunteers and other visitors, as well as catering for our dogs. The facilities will also support the delivery of activities related to our newer services such as My Guide, our work with children and young people and our partnership with Blind Children UK.”
Steve Vaid, Director of Mobility Services, said, “This is a very exciting time for Guide
Dogs. With the energy, creativity and skills of our staff and volunteers, I am confident our services will go from strength to strength, opening up the world for thousands more adults and children with sight loss.”
Continued on next page...
Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014 21

“When we embarked on the pilot project two years ago, the first thing we had to do was get the right amount of space to accommodate more dogs and staff, so we worked with our landlord to negotiate more room at our office.
“They told me they really felt like they understood the whole process a lot more as a result. Our Guide Dog Trainers have now had the opportunity to take the dog all the way through to advanced training and get involved with training service users alongside the Guide Dog Mobility
Instructor, which gives us the flexible, multi-skilled team we’re looking for.”
“We also needed to recruit more volunteer boarders. Fortunately we have good links with local schools and quite a few teachers and teaching assistants signed up. It’s the sort of role that works well for them because of their working patterns. By the end of the first year we’d recruited an additional 40 volunteers.
“Four Guide Dog Trainers and two Dog Care and Welfare Staff joined us on secondment from our Atherton Training School and it was really important to integrate them into the team. They spent time with our
Guide Dog Mobility Instructors and went out with our Engagement Officers and
Fundraisers, but the really important point is that they now had a link with our service users they wouldn’t have enjoyed if they were working at a training school.
“As a team we’ve found that our training times are reduced, fewer dogs are withdrawn from training, and we’re able to identify a potential match earlier and train a dog more specifically to meet our clients’ needs.
“But, crucially, the quality of the partnership is still there and you can see the end result in, for example, the dual-trained dog, we were able to identify for a deafblind client at a very early stage, or the 17-year-old girl who we were able to match with her first guide dog more quickly, and tailor it to her. Our clients are really positive about what we’re doing.”
22 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014

Thousands of hero dogs from across the
UK descended on London on 14 June in support of life-changing guide dogs.
‘Dogs Unite’ took Queen Elizabeth Olympic
Park by storm as more than 1,000 hero pet dogs in capes and their owners joined guide dog owners and our brilliant volunteers on a sponsored walk around the iconic park. Dogs of all shapes and sizes became heroes for the day by raising funds for their idols, our life-changing guide dogs. This was dogs working together – dogs united!
More than 3,000 people took part in this first major Dogs Unite event, joined by celebrity supporters including Hollyoaks star Jorgie Porter, Britain’s Got Talent winners
Ashley and Pudsey, and GB Paralympic gold medallist Jade Etherington.
You can still sponsor the dogs that took part on the day by texting CAPE50 , and the amount you’d like to donate, to 70070 .
Why not become a hero by joining one of our Dogs Unite events near you? If you can’t find one close by, you could gather together your friends, family or colleagues for your own sponsored dog walk. It really is a walk in the park! Find out more at dogsunite.org.uk
“It was great fun, will definitely do it again”
“Had a
perfect day”
“Capes
looked
cool!”
Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014 23

Anthony Baker is Head of Learning Support at the college, so his students have learning difficulties, as well as coming from a range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. He explains: “I wanted the students to learn to respect dogs and recognise what a useful aid they can be for people with a disability. I thought Guide
Dogs would be the perfect organisation to work with and raise money for.”
The students have now made five visits to
Leamington Guide Dog Training School, where they’ve come into close contact with dogs for the first time, taken blindfold walks and learnt to put their trust in a guide dog.
Through their fundraising they have raised over £600 and are sponsoring two guide dog puppies as a result.
Sue Bushell, Guide Dogs’ Community
Engagement Officer said: “The work Anthony and his team have done is fantastic. We need to try and break down the barriers as there are people who would benefit from a guide dog but for cultural reasons don’t feel able to apply for one.”
24 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014

63-year-old Derek and sighted guide Lynda from London go on weekly outings together.
The pair teamed up when
Derek’s rehab worker suggested My Guide. “I was a bit nervous to start with,” says
Derek, “but very happy to get started with my volunteer. It’s been the best three months
I’ve had. The scheme came with unexpected benefits.
Being able to get out seems to have given me a whole new confidence to face my other problems.”
In a pilot initiative at a
Newcastle secondary school, a Guide Dog Mobility
Instructor and My Guide
Ambassador have trained pupils to guide classmates with sight loss safely around the school.
Pupils at Sir Charles Parsons
School, where many students have additional needs, were so inspired by their training, it made the front page of their school newsletter. They’re now keen to raise the money to Name a Puppy at School and already have lots of exciting fundraising planned.
Lynda gives Derek tips when they’re out, pointing out hazards and encouraging him to use his support sticks. She says: “Derek is such a remarkable person; it’s a pleasure to go out every week.”
Guide Dogs Cymru has forged a new link with the
Muslim community in Wales by running a My Guide course for 10 members of the Ihsaan
Social Services Association
(ISSA). The organisation, which provides support, counselling, information and spiritual guidance to the Islamic community, was keen to a dd sighted guiding to its members’ skills.
Feedback was very positive. One participant said: “The training will help me assist clients with dignity and help maintain their independence, as well as educating the local community.”
Guide Dogs’ My Guide service is available to anyone with sight loss, reducing isolation by giving people the confidence to get out and about. For
My Guide volunteers, it’s a great way to learn new skills and make a real difference to people’s lives. To find out more, please email myguide@guidedogs.org.uk or call 0118 983 8187 .
Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014 25

We’ve been thinking differently about the way we work, to shrink our carbon footprint and make better use of our resources. We’re trialling some exciting new ideas for improving energy efficiency and reducing waste at our
National Breeding Centre. These have been so successful we’re now planning to introduce them across other sites. As well as looking after our world and our future as a leading charity for people with sight loss, the changes have saved us more than £42,000 – close to the lifetime cost of a guide dog.
Got a great idea? Please email sustainability@guidedogs.org.uk
Here are just some of the
initiatives we’re exploring:
• A wormery that turns dog waste into compost.
• Fully-recyclable whelping beds that will last for 10 years.
• Using low energy lightbulbs.
• Drying bedding on lines instead of in the tumble drier.
• Harvesting rainwater to use for washing the dogruns.
• A biomass boiler which uses woodchips as heating fuel.
• An electric car to use as an on-site vehicle.
• Recycling – which has cut our waste management costs by £5,000.
Children and young people with sight loss and their families enjoyed a fantastic day out at our Blind Drive in April – despite soggy weather conditions! Held at the Heritage
Motor Museum in Warwickshire, the event was the brainchild of eager fundraisers from
Lloyds TSB, and organised by Lloyds Scholars at Warwick University.
32 children took the Blind Drive challenge, guided through a timed obstacle course by instructors. They could also explore the museum with ‘buddies’ from Lloyds TSB who’d been trained as sighted guides and were supported by staff from local mobility teams and Blind Children UK.
The amount raised through sponsorship and collections is expected to reach £10,000.
26 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014

I had a normal, happy life until I lost my sight
10 years ago at the age of 27. I’d had some major headaches and after an emergency scan, a neurologist explained that a blood vessel had burst in my brain. Over the next six years it burst twice more and eventually
I was told that I needed brain surgery.
On 3 February 2010 I had the operation. I didn’t think I was going to come out of it and, if I did, it wouldn’t be a great outcome.
But although I lost all my right hand vision in both eyes, had major headaches, short term memory loss and tinnitus, I was alive.
Blaze has transformed my life. I take my son to school by myself, have lunch with friends, just everyday things I couldn’t do without her.
My eyesight has got worse and I’m now registered blind. Obviously I’m devastated but it’s easier to cope knowing that Blaze has given me the independence I need. I am so grateful to all the supporters who make
Guide Dogs’ work possible. Two out of three guide dogs are made possible thanks to gifts in Wills, so I will never get to thank the people who gave me back my freedom, but it’s the most wonderful gift anyone could ever make.
After the operation my husband became my carer. I used a white cane but never felt confident enough to go anywhere on my own. Then I rang Guide Dogs and, after a few visits and an assessment, I was told I could have a guide dog. I was over the moon, knowing a dog could give me my independence back.
Finally I was matched with a black labrador called Blaze. I get goosebumps and a huge smile every time I remember that moment.
My son called Blaze ‘Mummy’s new eyes.’
Blaze and I trained together in Norwich. One
December evening, I was in the city centre
– flashing Christmas lights, people rushing everywhere, I was so scared. But Blaze led me along the street and I didn’t hit a single person. I knew I could trust her completely.
If you’re interested in this form of giving please call Lauren Stoney in the Gifts in
Wills Team 0845 603 1477 .
Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014 27

that “the life of the school is greatly enriched and enlivened by Petal”.
Chris made sure that Petal came across as many different sights and sounds as possible, accompanying the boys on school trips, attending meetings inside and outside school, taking part in assemblies and her particular favourite, fire drills.
“She loved the excitement,”
Chris says, “and the boys loved seeing her in the yard.”
School trips can be a useful experience for a guide dog pup
Back in 2011, one of the school’s Pastoral House Office
Managers, Chris Kemp, suggested they support
Guide Dogs. Not only that but she would become a puppy walker and bring the puppy into the school.
With the support of the headmaster, Chris approached Guide Dogs and got an equally positive response. What followed was a month of paperwork, risk assessments, communications with the council and the parents, preparing the office where Chris is based…and, finally, a 10-week-old puppy called Petal.
Chris says: “My life changed completely, and going to work has never been the same since!”
Petal took the school day completely in her stride.
Chris says: “Sometimes the office would be quiet, then it would be inundated with boys needing their report cards signed, angry boys, sick boys, staff bringing a range of emotions too.
Petal always managed to lighten the atmosphere and make them smile.”
The ultimate compliment appeared in the school’s
Ofsted report, which noted
So successful was Petal’s time at school that since she’s moved on to her guide dog training, the school have walked two more puppies, Morris and Barney, and are about to welcome their fourth. The boys have loved learning about Guide
Dogs and they have been equally enthusiastic about fundraising. In the last academic year alone, they raised £1,100.
Chris says: “The boys play a huge part in the puppies’ training and I couldn’t do it without their cooperation. I’m very grateful and very proud of them.”
Barney in the school corridor
28 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014

Piper and friends in
their Piper T-shirts! the company’s Operations
Coordinator, who chose
Piper’s name. “They do such wonderful work; we’re very proud to be a part of it.”
Sandpiper have enjoyed their experience so much they’re now raising money to name another pup.
If you’d like to find out more about our Name a Puppy scheme, please call 0118 983
0190 or email nameapuppy@ guidedogs.org.uk
Piper the guide dog pup has become something of a celebrity in Jersey, where the Channel Island retailer Sandpiper CI raised
£5,000 to name him.
a better pup. It will break our hearts when he goes, but he’ll make someone a fantastic guide dog.”
Piper’s puppy walker,
Jacqui Richomme, says:
“Piper is wonderful. I couldn’t have asked for
Sandpiper staff were very excited to name a guide dog pup. “Piper has enabled us to really raise
Guide Dogs’ profile on the island,” says Kim Noble,
Could you be a puppy walker? Guide Dogs is looking for volunteers for this vital role in many parts of the UK (though not in Jersey at the moment!). For more information, please call 0845 371 7771.
Could you help Guide Dogs achieve its vision of a world in which people who are blind or partially sighted can enjoy the same freedom of movement as everyone else? We’re looking for new trustees to join the board. Sound judgement and independent thought are important, along with excellent communication skills. Trustees must be able to work at a strategic level, interact effectively with our Executive Board, challenge constructively, and influence a wide range of stakeholders.
For more information and details on how to apply, please visit guidedogs.org.uk/trustee
Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014 29

Alan Fletcher from Swindon set up his 4Joy
Appeal in memory of his guide dog Joy, hoping to raise £20,000 to name four guide dog puppies. Alan has amazing support in his local community who ran4Joy, sang4Joy, held an openhouse4Joy – you name it, they did it – raising £30,000 in a year. Alan says:
“This has surpassed my wildest dreams. I’ve been overwhelmed by people’s generosity.”
Director of Fundraising and Marketing
Guide dog owner Scott Cunningham is holding a year-long series of fundraising events to mark 21 years of sight loss, culminating with an autumn ball. Scott hopes to raise £21,000 and his challenges have included tackling some of
Scotland’s gruelling munroes.
After promoting
Guide Dogs tirelessly during her term of office, Sue Knight ,
Lady Captain of the
Bishop’s Stortford
Golf Club , presented
Saffron Walden branch with a cheque for £2,500.
30 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014
Nine-year-old Gabriel Dhillon-Powell is an enterprising young fundraiser. He gathered signed photos and books from the likes of
Sir Alex Ferguson to raffle to classmates and their families, raising £266. Gabriel and fellow pupils at Langley Primary School have been working hard to raise money for Guide Dogs.
Their teacher, Ms Rai, says: “We always take this kind of opportunity to help others.”
Courtesy of Express & Star

Barbara Birch , from
Ruddington, has raised
£32,000 over many years.
She started with a collection box, then took in donated goods for garage sales and has had a stall at the annual
Nottingham Autokarna show for 25 years.
Staff and shoppers at Friars
Square , Aylesbury, raised over £10,000 to name two pups. Local schoolgirl
Riona won a competition to name them, choosing
‘Charlie’ and ‘Lola’. She’s pictured with guide dog owner Elsie Hambrook and
Friars Square Manager
Andy Margieson.
Derek Beale ran
Reading Half
Marathon, raising
£317. He delivered the cheque to
Reading fundraising group with his threeyear-old grandson, who had a great time playing with two guide dogs!
Guide dog owners, puppy walkers and friends raised £428 at a coffee morning to support Daniel Bishop, whose sister Andrea is a guide dog owner. He ran the London
Marathon with Christofer O’Connor and
Helen Boyd, who together raised £11,000.
The new Kirkintilloch fundraising group , along with the Third and Sixth
Campsie Brownies , held an Easter fair, attended by local councillor Gemma
Welsh and MSP Gregg
McClymont, raising £400.
Young brothers Harry and Owen
Clannachan , five and eight respectively, have put their pocket money pennies into our collection box at Morrisons in Dumfries since they were tiny. Their dad Stewart reckons they’ve donated hundreds of pounds and says: “I’m really proud of them.”
Customers of Waitrose, Menai
Bridge , have raised £648 via the store’s Community Matters programme. Guide dog owners
Buddug Lloyd-Jones and Nigel Dunt collected the cheque.
Gill Southgate, chairman of
King’s Lynn and district fundraising group, presented
Sheila Roythorne, landlady of the
Coach and Horses ,
Dersingham, with a guide dog photo to thank her and her customers for raising over £550.
Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014 31

Puppy walker Collette Carpenter took on the challenge of the
London Marathon, involving children from Our Lady Queen of Peace
R.C. Primary School , where her son is a pupil, in her fundraising. The children took part in blindfold sporting challenges, raising nearly
£1,000 and making a big contribution to Collette’s £2,700 total.
Children with sight loss completed a sponsored blind climb at Newcastle
Climbing Centre , raising over
£1,500. Thanks to
Anna Chouler for organising the event and everyone at the centre for donating their time.
Staff at Priory Walk branch of
Sainsbury’s, Colchester, have worked tirelessly to raise over
£3,600, through collection boxes, in-house events and a
‘doggie day’.
Thanks to the generosity of Geoff and
Sheila Smales , Rotherham fundraising group are now proud owners of a folding caravan. Without it they wouldn’t be able to attend local shows as their previous caravan was no longer roadworthy.
Urmston Junior School has chosen Guide
Dogs as its charity of the year. Pupils raised £285 wearing high vis clothing and
Standing Out for Guide Dogs.
St Andrews University
Guide Dogs Society raised £3,000 to name two guide dog puppies. They chose the names Wills and
Kate, after two rather famous royal alumni!
Jade Bell, Alice Bishop Skinner, Ellie Dark and Clara Bing organised a cake sale at
Holy Trinity School , Richmond, raising £133.
Well done girls!
Guide dog owner David Morton and
Carlisle Rugby Club organised a sportsman’s dinner, raising £2,500. The after-dinner speaker was former
England rugby star Jeff
Probyn.
32 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014

Ann and John Porter are ‘retiring’ from volunteering after
44 years with Lincoln fundraising group .
During that time, the group has held collections in all weathers, raising a staggering £1 million.
Marlow the pup visited his namesake town to meet the
Rotary Clubs of
Marlow and Marlow
Thames year.
, who raised enough to name him with their annual
Santa Fun Run last
After Belfast Mobility Team Manager Karen
Mumford visited Stormont School with guide dog Elvis, pupils decided to raise enough to name a puppy. After just three months of events including a dog mask competition and a sponsored ‘doggy dash’, they raised a magnificent £5,800, nearly enough to name four pups.
Keith Murray asked local writers to contribute to a book, ‘Guiding Lights’, inspired by and featuring guide dogs. Production costs were met by local businesses through advertising and the book was sold throughout Aberdeen, raising £2,554
Geoffrey William
Fanner MSCP ARCO, former chairman of Cornwall Blind
Association, aged 88.
We are sad to announce the death of guide dog owner
Geoffrey was a talented organist and choirmaster, who became an
Associate of the
Royal College of Organists and played at all four of his daughters’ weddings. He had set his heart on becoming an organ builder but when this proved impossible, he became a chartered physiotherapist in
1950, the start of a 40-year career with the health service. He used his skills as a cabinet maker, however, throughout his life, making, among other things, several grandfather clocks.
Geoffrey’s first guide dog, Suzy, helped him travel around
London in the 1970s; his fifth and last,
Moss, was with him when he died.
We are sorry to announce the death of Doreen Dunn, age 77, from Dorset.
Doreen started puppy walking in the
1970s and quickly became involved in fundraising too.
She put her life and soul into everything she did and will be remembered by friends and family for her smile and zest for life.
Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014 33

If you would like to pay tribute to a guide dog you have known, please send your tribute
(up to a maximum of 25 words) to forward@ guidedogs.org.uk
or to Forward at Hillfields,
Burghfield Common, Reading, RG7 3YG.
Ava 9.2.01 – 17.4.14
Guide dog Ava, died suddenly. A loving worrier. Our little one armed bandit will be sadly missed.
Karen and Steve.
Ember 25.10.01 –
18.6.14
Retired guide dog
Ember. Loving guide dog to the late
Anne Anderson.
Remembered by everyone who knew him in Aberdeen.
Holly 3.6.04 – 27.4.14
Sleep tight my beautiful Brown
Dog, after a life well spent. The void you leave will never be completely filled, you touched so many lives.
Bertie 12.7.02 – 18.3.14
Our darling Bertie, second guide to
Robin Evans. Lovingly put to sleep on 18
March. We’ll meet again over the rainbow bridge precious lad.
Eamon 8.2.99 – 7.3.14
Nine years a diligent guide to Harry
Murray. Walked by
Mrs Payne. Latterly to Bill and Marjorie
Medford, mischievous to the end. Run free old fellow.
Flame (Monks)
12.12.01 – 19.5.14
Third guide to Cathy
Elmes. Gentle, kind, loving companion.
Puppy walked by
Malcolm and Tricia
Alberry. Adored by many. Run free little girl. Love Mummy and Uncle Phil. x
Holly 25.12.98 – 8.1.14
Worked with Jean for many years, and trained by Tim.
Sadly missed and much loved by the family and anyone who met her.
Gemma 20.6.97 –
6.5.14
Much loved guide to
Elsie, mad with water.
Retired aged four. Will be greatly missed.
Enjoy your time at the rainbow bridge. X
Iain 24.9.00 – 1.4.14
Third guide to Bryan
Rigg, marvellous ambassador for
Guide Dogs, stroked by the Queen at Buckingham
Palace. Puppy walked by Rosemary
Parmenter. Thank you and God bless.
Jasmine 29.1.00
– 12.6.14
Guide to Jean
Connolly, a special girl and amazing guide dog, willing to work even in retirement. Will be missed very much and always be loved.
Jay 9.10.99 – 11.4.13
Much loved first guide dog of Betty
Jappy. Missed by all who knew her.
Sleep well Jay.
Kandy 29.7.98 –
19.5.14
Gave us many years of love, companionship, comfort and joy. She leaves a huge hole in our hearts and lives.
Never forgotten.
Guide dog Ava
9-2-1 17-4-14
Died suddenly
A loving worrier
Our little one armed bandit will be sadly missed
Karen & steve
Ava Bertie
34 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014
Eamon Ember Flame

Gemma Jay Merry Mitzie Nathan
Merry 28.1.98 –
14.4.14
Much loved third guide to the late
Barbara Veale.
Rehomed to Sylvia
Oldfield for the last three years.
Remembered always for her cheeky character.
Nona 21.8.06 –
10.5.14
Our beautiful Nona
Noodle. Guide to Lesley Cowell, puppy walked and retired early to the
Evans family. Your life was too short but so very special.
Quita 23.11.03 –
12.2.14
Beautiful and devoted first guide to Joe and best friend to Sadie and
Carly. Your presence we miss, memory we treasure, in our hearts forever.
Mitzie 31.7.02 –
28.4.14
Didn’t quite make it as a guide dog.
Became a wonderful, gentle pet to her puppy walker, Sandra
Evans. Miss you Mitz.
Percy 16.1.02 – 25.4.14
Puppy walked by
Jenny Turner. Guided
Marion Maden for nine years in
Bradford. Retired to
Pauline and Derek
Barker. Has gone to the rainbow bridge.
Rachel 14.1.99 –
27.4.14
My special posh lady, who was always cuddly and sweet.
Loved by all. Run free at the rainbow bridge with Gemma.
Love, Elsie. X
Nathan 7.9.01 – 27.2.14
Walked by Jan Edis.
Much loved guide to Sheila Karapetian.
Missed by Martin.
Happy retirement with the Barber family. Funny, caring, gentle, unforgettable.
Pilot 21.4.98 – 15.1.14
Devoted guide and companion to Steve
Crewe. A gentle giant with a big personality who lived life to the full. Loved and remembered always.
Remy 20.12.99
– 29.5.14
Guiding star for Mike
Tucker for nine years.
Reunited with her
Dad; you travelled so far together, now your journeys are complete. Missed beyond words.
Sam (Harper)
27.2.01 – 7.3.14
Failed to become a guide but everyone loved Sam, no one more than me. Broke my heart when you left after 12 wonderful years together.
Sylvie 4.8.98 – 3.2.14
Didn’t qualify due to allergy issues but became a muchloved member of her puppy walking family
(the Thompsons) for 15 happy years.
Sadly missed.
Sleep tight Sylv.
Terry 24.10.99 –
25.3.13
Trusted guide dog to Ken Weinling, died on 25 March
2013. Will never be forgotten. Sleep peacefully Terry.
Nona Percy Quita Remy Rachel
Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014 35

Sam Sylvie
Trixie 10.4.02 – 9.4.14
Second exceptional guide to Sylvia.
Loved work and play.
Greatly missed by all.
You have left paw prints on so many hearts. Goodnight
Angel, run free.
Ulan 7.7.99 – 7.5.14
Guide to Gerald
James, retired to
Jane and Mike
Dyer. Many loving memories of the loyalty and joy he gave to us all.
Sadly missed.
Terry Trixie
Usher 17.5.99 – 23.4.14
Puppy walked by
Mr and Mrs Dalton, faithful guide to Fay
Stewart, happily retired to Marjorie and Bill Medford. A friend to one and all.
Val 3.4.01 – 5.6.14
Val. Our treasured golden girl. You gave us so much
Rest in peace our guardian angel.
In loving memory of love and pleasure.
Yale 7.7.01 – 6.3.14
Second guide to
Denis Ward. Yale, you were perfect in every sense. Gone from our lives but not from our hearts. Sleep tight. X
Yeoman 24.5.99
– 22.4.14
Devoted guide dog to Maureen, beloved companion to Shirley and Geoff.
Irreplaceable, much loved and sadly missed.
Usher
Yorkie 18.3.00
– 20.5.14
Loyal guide to Terry
Brewell for eight years. Thanks to
Betty for giving him a happy retirement.
God bless and always in my heart.
Guide Dogs is working with the Blue Cross to provide a bereavement support service for current and retired guide dog owners and volunteers who are grieving the loss of their dog or pup through retirement, rehoming, illness, separation, transition or death. A phone line is open daily from 8.30am – 8.30pm and there is an email service for people who prefer to write about how they are feeling.
Guide dog owners and volunteers can call the bereavement service on 0800 096 6606 or email pbssmail@bluecross.org.uk
Make a tribute online
If you would like your dog’s name to appear in our ‘Paws for Thought’ Online Memorial
Book, please contact the Gifts in Memory Team on 0845 603 1477 , email giftsinmemory@guidedogs.org.uk
or visit giftsinmemory.org.uk
Our dogs may be honoured with a complimentary listing of their name to commemorate them.
36 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014

Donington Park Race Circuit, Donington Park
13 September 10.00am-3.30pm
A fabulous experience whether you are visually impaired or sighted. This fundraiser gives you the chance to drive blindfolded in a dual control BSM car on the Heritage Loop of Donington Park. Places are limited and you must book in advance. Contact Guide Dogs’
Nottingham Mobility Team on 0845 372 7424 or email nottingham@guidedogs.org.uk
Perthshire Amber –
The Dougie MacLean
Festival Perthshire, 24
October – 2 November
With Guide Dogs as its charity partner, the music festival is raising money to name a puppy. The
BIG KNIT is running throughout the festival, with people knitting ‘hats for hounds’. Visit perthshireamber.com or call Rebecca
Alexander on 01350 727657 if you’d like to send in your knitted hats.
National Breeding Centre Open Day
11 October 11.00am-4.00pm
A great family day out at the place where every guide dog’s life begins!
Puppy viewing, dog demonstrations,
Sensory Tunnel, children’s activities, refreshments, and much more.
BBC Good Food Show, Glasgow
17 - 19 October
BBC Good Food Show, London Olympia
14 - 16 November
BBC Good Food Show, NEC Birmingham
26 - 30 November
Meet our dogs, take a walk in our Sensory
Tunnel and take a blindfold challenge to test your senses.
Exhibition at Leamington Art Gallery and
Museum
A six-month exhibition (from June) celebrating 80 years of Guide Dogs, including some wonderful 1950s archive footage and special memorabilia.
QAC Sight Village, Kensington Town Hall
4 November
A major event showcasing technology and services for people who are blind or partially sighted. Meet Guide Dogs staff and find out about Guide Dogs services and all the great opportunities for volunteering with us.
If you have a taste for adventure, why not skydive to raise money for Guide Dogs?
You can request to skydive on any date that suits you and choose from around 20
UK locations. The cost of your skydive will then be covered by your fundraising. To find out more, please visit guidedogs.org.
uk/events or call 0845 600 6787 .
37 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014

New partnerships are listed by mobility team.
Each listing details owner, guide dog, town, breed, puppy walker and brood bitch holder.
Warm congratulations to all our new quali fi ers.
Belfast
Irene Agnew & Rudolf from Belfast L, Ian
Lister from Hartlepool
* April Williamson from
Stratford Upon Avon
Vida Dalziell & Korky from Dunfermline GRxL,
Gemma McKeown from
Bangor * Roger Morgan from West Malvern
Lesley Downing &
Imogen from Armagh
LxGR, Doreen Imrie from Glenrothes
* Linda Langman from Milton Keynes
Birmingham
Linda Bills & Dee from Bromsgrove
GRxGSD,
GRxGSD,
Karen Lavis from Bristol * Trudy
Evans from Coventry
Jaqueline Clark &
Dream from Birmingham
Fionne
Jones from Milton
Keynes * Trudy Evans from Coventry
Hilary Jackson & Cindy from Hereford GRxL,
Margaret Balderson from
Keighley * Roger Morgan from West Malvern and Dannatt from
Stourbridge * Robert
Jones from Rushden
Mansell Griffiths &
Rena from Bridgend
GRxL, Sheila Morris from Bromsgrove * Ruth
Wood from Coventry
Mark Lewis & Sprint from
Chepstow GRxGSD,
Valerie Jordan from
Kidlington * Cora Blaver from Northampton
Idelfonso Fuentes Ojeda
& Dudley from Holyhead
GRxL, David Lindsley from Northampton
* Sarah Brettell from
Stratford Upon Avon Gloria Fisher & Fliss from
Belfast GRxGSD, Patricia
Flockhart from Glasgow,
Morag Thomson from
Aberlour * Philip Plant from Leamington Spa
Miles Northwood &
Benson from Bedford
LxGR, Stuart Donaldson from Cupar, Nancy
Hutchison from
Kirkcaldy * Elizabeth
Sagar from Warwick
Leo Murphy & Mike from
Belfast L, David Wright from Manchester * Helen
Bonnett from Gloucester
Lynn Sparrow & Penny from Wellingborough L,
Joy Hutchison from
Solihull * Jill Overton from
Birmingham Ian Ross & Gina from
Omagh GRxGSD,
Diane McRoberts from Dunfermline *
Anne Cadwallader from Southam
Elaine Usher & Rusty from
Birmingham GRxL, Susan
Rhodes from Coventry
* Caroline Dempster from Leamington Spa
Eric Williams & Eric from
Buxton L, Lynda Kingham from Oldmeldrum,
Helen Jordan from
Glasgow * Tracey
Wilkinson from Telford
Barbara Wilson & Jimmy from Dungannon GRxL,
Alana Westcott from
Rosyth * Sian Simmons from Kenilworth
Cardiff
Nigel Cronin & Mik from Newport L, Julie
Pocknell from Merthyr
Tydfil * Annette Smith from Swadlincote
June Goulding & Violet from Caldicot GRxL,
John and Claire Brothers
Ricky Owen & Barney from Colwyn Bay
GRxL,
GSD,
Lesley Wise from Coventry *
Cherry Gillbard from
Aldingbourne
Elizabeth Oytaben
& Ava from Cardiff L,
Nan Phillips from Usk
Patrick Peters &
Portia from Wrexham
Sheena Kemp from Atherstone
* Kathleen Brooks from Wellesbourne
Janice Powers & Lucas from Carmarthen
L, Wendy Lilley from
Monmouth * Ann-
Marie & Kevin Meredith from Kidderminster
Michael Price &
Danny from Cwmbran
GRxGSD, Yeda Line from Nuneaton * Trudy
Evans from Coventry
Michael Williams &
Winnie from Pontypridd
L, Pamela Moody from
Leicester, Janet Burr from Wellingborough,
Veronica Barr from
Rushden * Dawn
Collins from Telford
Coventry
Lynn Pacey & Penny from Hinckley GRxL,
Janet Clifford from
Wellingborough * Jackie
Elliott from Warwick
Aidan Reilly & Ramble from Leamington Spa
GR, Joan Bowering from Bristol * Gill
Moss from Banbury
Rashmikant Shah & Nixon from Northampton GRxL,
Pauline Ellis from Kineton
* Mary Cheesman from Southam
Dr Mike Townsend &
Oxford from Leicester
GRxL, Chryzelda
Cosgrove from South
Brent * Natasha Brady from Northampton
Edinburgh
Michael Thomas Banks &
Tess from Eyemouth L,
Gordon Glen from
Kirriemuir * Mrs Wood from Leicester
Sandy Bruce & Bryson from Dundee GRxGSD,
Lesley Newberry from
Bangor * Trudy Evans from Coventry
38 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014

Roderick Burnett & Indy from Aboyne GSD, Karen
Johnston from Greenock,
Renfrewshire, Alan
Moores from Dumfries *
Donna Morris from Telford
Shirley Cant & Pat from
Dundee GRxL, Mo
O’Brien from Ellon,
Marion McComb from Arbroath * Laura
Knowles from Solihull
Maureen Anne Harris
& Fifi from Arbroath
GRxGSD, Carol Ray from
Westhill * Philip Plant from Leamington Spa
Robert Ritchie & Inca from Musselburgh
GRxL, David Brown from Lanark * Janet
Ball from Stourbridge
Keith Ross & Arnold from Glasgow GR,
Anne Crawford from Fraserburgh
Lorraine Stewart &
Isla from Dunbar
LxGR, Carol & Alan
Biggins from Kingskettle
* Linda Langman from Milton Keynes
Barbara Brown
McDermid & Bracken from Edinburgh GSD,
Julia Yarker from
GSD , Jess Black from
Dunfermline * Mrs
Tindall from Coventry
Edinburgh * Mrs Tindall from Coventry
Garry Martin Pitts &
Bentley from Dunfermline
Binnie Taylor & Blue from Laurencekirk
GRxL, Lisa Hilditch from
Blairgowrie * Anita
Metcalfe from Warwick
Douglas James Wallace
& Stanley from Strichen
GRxL, Margaret Gibson from Ballater * Sarah
Stanley from Rugby
Dennis Wilson & Todd from Edinburgh GR,
Ruth & Iain Coker from North Berwick Amanda Priestman
& Elmo from Ayton
LxGR, John & Margaret
Ure from Carnoustie
* Elizabeth Sagar from Warwick
Exeter
Jodie Renton & Jenny from Dunbar GRxL,
Strathaven * Anita
Elizabeth Tierney from
Metcalfe from Warwick
Amy Bagley & Eric from
Newquay GR, Tanya
Cole from Cardiff, Lee
Blanning from Pontypool
* Barbara Walker from
Sutton Coldfield
Dawn Watson & Tilly from
Forres L, Diane & Mark
Turberfield from Montrose
Bridget Bickford &
Kizzy from Saltash
L, Adam Lock from
Torpoint * Annette Smith from Swadlincote
Christine Blandford
& Zuki from Tavistock
GRxGSD, Mervyn
Baldwin from Paignton
* Peter Meadows from Lutterworth
Elaine Brophy &
Lexie from St Austell
GRxL, Ruth Oliver from Worcester * Ruth
Mercer from Warwick
Bob Brown & Ursula from
Tiverton L, Allison Callon from Exeter * Jeanette
Hannon from Oldbury
Denene Burton & Ralph from Bristol LxGR, Iain
Lonsdale from Corsham
* Sally Elliott from Olney
Peter Charis Erickson-
Hull & Heath from
Okehampton GRxL,
Eilidh Rattray from
Crossgates * Robert
Walpole from Cirencester
Andrew George &
Briar from Newquay
GSD, Anne Breach from Chelmsford * Mrs
Tindall from Coventry
Deborah Jones &
Sandy from Plymouth
GRxL, Elaine Horne from Northampton *
D Ward from Rugby
Michaela Kitto & Jackie from Penryn GRxL, Mary
Elizabeth Roddie from
Somerton * Natasha
Brady from Northampton
Matthew Lewis &
Rishka from Crediton
GRxL, Carole Prior from
Rugby * Carla Alves
Da Silva from Solihull
Ronald Miller & Ludo from
Exeter LxGR, Kathleen
Fennemore from Derby
* Jane Plant from Solihull
Heather Muncey &
George from Bristol
LxGR, Sylvia Waite from
Exeter * Paul Dodd from
Westbury On Severn
Ian Rice & Elcie from
Tavistock LxGR, Gillian
Callicott from Plymouth
* Paul Dodd from
Westbury On Severn
Anthony Roberts &
Rusty from Milbrook
GRxL, Julie Kalupa from Swindon * Julie
Arnull from Stourbridge
George Sharpe &
Gromet from Brixham
LxGR, Christine Sherriff from Torquay * Anna
Adams from Daventry
Geoffrey Wherry &
Merry from St Austell
GR, Rachel Discombe from Aberdeen *
Pam Kimmins from
Birmingham
Muriel Wilkes & Indy from
St Ives LxGR, Abigail
Hunkin from Dartmouth
* Linda Langman from Milton Keynes
x – Crossbreed
CCR – Curly Coat Retriever
COL – Collie
FCR – Flat Coat Retriever
GR – Golden Retriever
GSD – German Shepherd Dog
IWS – Irish Water Spaniel
L – Labrador
SPIN – Spinone
STP – Standard Poodle
Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014 39

Gary Winfield & Natt from
Torpoint GRxL, Frances
West from Colyton
* Mary Cheesman from Southam
Howard Hunter & Vince from Cromarty GRxFCR,
Gillian Stanage from
Innerleithen * Alison
Jordan from Stafford
Glasgow
William Allinson &
Jack from Galashiels
GRxL , Amanda Royall from Longniddry
* Tina Williams from
Southampton
Valerie Hydes & Whispa from Stockton-on-Tees L,
Donald Cunningham from Glasgow, Lesley
Stewart from South
Queensferry, Claire
McCleary from Lisburn,
Jacqui Gormley from
Ballyclare * Dawn
Alejandre-Grau from Leicester Morven Archbold & Toby from Isle Of Mull L, Clare
Edgar from Kelso * Trudy
Bond from Wellesbourne
Terry Brown & Wizard from Shotts L, Edith
McEwan from Glasgow
* Dawn Alejandre-
Grau from Leicester
James Gallagher &
Yoric from Glasgow
GRxL, Paula Garden from Bridge Of Don
* Giovanni Mantella from Moreton In Marsh
Dr Alison Mackenzie
& Tony from Glasgow
GRxL, Helen Kilpatrick from Belfast * Glennis
Snape from Birmingham
Gloria Murdoch & Gillan from Glasgow GRxL,
Julie and Steven Wilson from Glasgow, Lynda
McClune from Glasgow
* Giovanni Mantella from Moreton In Marsh
John Garvie & Bronte from Glasgow GSD, June
Docherty from Dundee *
Mrs Tindall from Coventry
Charles Nicol & Verney from Glasgow L, S
Lang from St Andrews,
Daniel Rooney from St
Andrews * Rebecca
Leat from Towcester
Allana Grant & Felix from Airdrie GRxGSD,
Paula Ruxton from
Arbroath * Philip Plant from Leamington Spa
Brian Slark & Chester from Glasgow GRxL,
Marjorie Kelman from
Aberdeen * Samantha
Hanley from Telford
Phyllis Henderson &
Benny from Inverness L,
Lesley Murray from
Kirkcaldy * Dee Moloney from Radford Semele
David Thomas & Peter from Irvine GSD, Alan
Smith from Longniddry,
Mrs Reid from Edinburgh
* Kathleen Brooks from Wellesbourne
Colin Hetherington &
Jason from Annan L,
Edith Gordon from
Clydebank * Anne
Baulch from Rugby
Hull Leeds
Robert Awty & Jay from
Hull L, Pat Kane from
Newcastle Upon Tyne *
Anne Baulch from Rugby
Ken Barrett MBE & Wayne from Sleaford L,
Sue Thornhill from
Nottingham * Kelly
Withers from Walsall
Mary Clark & Usher from
Boston GRxFCR, Ruth &
Iain Coker from North
Berwick * John Rogers from Bromsgrove
Sally Anne Cousins &
Carter from Driffield
GRxL, Ann Wackett from York * Samantha
Hanley from Telford
Martin Howson & Bella from Scunthorpe L,
David Ryder from
Warrington, Mrs Hicks from Lytham St Annes
* Elaine Roberts from Stourbridge
Linda Britton & Denby from Leeds LxGR,
Michael Grayson from Sheffield * Janie
Macqueen from
Fenny Compton
Geoffrey Cope &
Queenie from Leeds
GRxL, Claire Domville from Timperley * Anita
Metcalfe from Warwick
John Greenwood &
Austin from Knottingley L,
Louise Lancaster from Shipley * David
Windhaber from
Northampton
Kath Harrison & Betty from Leeds GSD,
Peter Emmerson from
Durham * Andrew
London from Hereford
Mark Harrison & Simba from Huddersfield GRxL,
M Desborough from
South Shields * Sarah
Stanley from Rugby
Barry Latham & Bailey from Grantham LxGR,
Sandra Allison from Ilkley
* Janie Macqueen from Fenny Compton
David Morton & Ulric from York L, Sandra
Reid from Wythenshawe
* Deborah Kelsey from Coventry
Andrew Walker & Brodie from Scunthorpe GSD,
Julie Peel from Durham *
Mrs Tindall from Coventry
George Wiles & Tj from Bridlington GR,
Mrs Hopcroft from
Thornton-Cleveleys
Hilary Heane & Chandler from Leeds GRxL,
Rachel Looby & Joy from Harrogate GRxL,
Graeme Collin from
Leeds * Tina Williams from Southampton
Lindsey Moore
& Charlotte from
Cleckheaton GR, Julie
Bateman from Billingham
Albert Ruffles & Kendal from York GRxGSD, Mrs
Mitchell from Inverurie
* Mandy Matkin from Burntwood
Carolyne McBride from Sale * Samantha
Hanley from Telford
40 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014

Eric Smith & Charlie from Wakefield GRxL,
Sarah Ibbotson from
Wigan * Samantha
Hanley from Telford
Brittany Stead & Honey from Cleckheaton GR,
Doris Milligan from
Clitheroe * Christine
Fowler from Southam
Liverpool
Alan McComb &
Hugo from Liverpool
GRxL, Anne Maddox from Stoke On Trent
* David Yarwood from Birmingham
Ken McDonnell & Arthur from Southport GRxL,
Leslie Leach from St
Helens * Barbara Swain from Leamington Spa
Beryl Moss & Hobbs from Malpas GRxL,
Barbara Burston from
Northwich * Sian
Simmons from Kenilworth
George Eastwood &
Nugget from Bootle L,
Glynis Telford from
Northwich * Caroline
Lyons from Nuneaton
Tracey Finn & Freda from Liverpool L, John
Davis from Bolton, Ann
Burley from Manchester,
Kathleen Shepherd from Bolton * Jude
Jennison from Warwick
Carol Godman &
George from Liverpool
LxGR, Sharron Marie
Burns from Wallasey
* Linda Langman from Milton Keynes
David Gwilliam & Kenton from Warrington GRxL,
Wendy Cunningham from Dundee * Caroline
& Michael Evason from Warwick
Stephen Joiner & Jodie from Woodchurch GRxL,
Lesley Ashworth from
Cheadle * Tina Williams from Southampton
Colette Ormond &
Urwin from Birkenhead
L, Jenness Turner from
Preston * Deborah
Kelsey from Coventry
Ann Osborne & Ally from Birkenhead L,
Norman Feely from
Wirral * Deborah
Kelsey from Coventry
Darren Powell & Milo from Liverpool GRxL,
Graham Ross & Des from Liverpool GRxL,
Catherine Corby from
Wirral * Lorraine Harrison from Kidderminster
Allison Dickinson from
Chester * Ann Hubble from Birmingham
Alice Sealeaf & Rona from Wirral GR, Ellen
Marshall from Bootle
* Pam Kimmins from Birmingham
Susan Jones & Joan from
Warrington L, Anne Pollitt from Nelson * Rebecca
Leat from Towcester
Michelle Sherrington
& Betsy from Bootle
GRxL, Henrietta Perkins from Southport * Sian
Simmons from Kenilworth
Lesley Simpson &
Pippa from Liverpool
GRxL, Doctor Lesley
Batchelor from
Macclesfield * Laura
Knowles from Solihull
Lisa Speed & Obie from
Wirral GRxL, Lynda
Hamblet from Bolton *
Beth Julian from Leicester
Kirsty Stirland-Smith &
Yuri from Congleton
GRxL, Angela Wilcock from Sowerby Bridge
* Giovanni Mantella from Moreton In Marsh
Julie Tree & Quip from Southport LxGR,
Robert Sampson from
Liverpool * Denise
Bright from Kidlington
John Watson & Jake from Liverpool GRxL,
Andrew Jamieson from Wirral * Anita
Metcalfe from Warwick
Jill Whitmore & Foxy from Chester GRxGSD,
Janet Franklin from St.
Helens * Philip Plant from Leamington Spa
London
Steven Burge & Rufus from London GRxL,
Heather Short from West
Molesey * Carla Alves
Da Silva from Solihull
Femida Banu Dadabhai
& Eddie from Ilford
GRxGSD, Andrea
Weddle from Enfield
* Rosemary Jackson from Leamington Spa
Philip Dennis & Scooby from Merton LxGR,
Megan White from
London * Paul Dodd from Westbury On Severn
Gill Fox & Cannon from Croydon GRxL,
Lynn Bament from
Rochester * Rowena
Styles from Worcester
Tim Gebbels & Arthur from London L, Jane
Mills from Maidstone
* Karen Robbens from
Leamington Spa
Ismael Ibrahim & Huxley from London LxGR,
Jackie Meyer from
London * Tracy Twomey from Leamington Spa
Paul Kelley & Olive from
Chelmsford GRxL, Karen and Grace Thompson from Rayleigh * Julie
Arnull from Stourbridge
Donald Knight & Isaac from Romford GRxL,
Lynne Knapp from
Huntingdon * Julia
Maxwell from Kenilworth
Ropafadzo Matibenga
& Ernie from London GR,
Tony Jose from Woodall
Spa * Barbara Walker from Sutton Coldfield
Nilesh Mistry & Honey from London GRxL,
James Cooke from
Cambridge * Ruth
Philpott from Malvern
Karen Robinson &
Daphne from London
GRxL, Judy Entwistle from Luton, Peter
Ratcliffe from Kings
Langley * Mrs Coughlan from Lutterworth
Deborah Steiner &
Wag from London L,
Michele Green from
Billericay * Sandra
Hoffman from Coventry
Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014 41

Diane Stephen & Goldie from Uxbridge LxGR,
Sue Gibson from Barnet
* Paul Dodd from
Westbury On Severn
Laura Ridley & Kit from
Burgess Hill LxGSD,
Suzanne Patrick from
Rochester * Beryl
Wyrko from Leicester
Janet Pilling & Tigger from Accrington L,
Peter McGuinness from
Sheffield * Trudy Bond from Wellesbourne
Paul Laing & June from
Barrow-in-Furness L,
John Potter from
Dunfermline * Anne
Baulch from Rugby
Ivy Temple & Lionel from London GRxL,
Rochester * Ruth
Lynn Lumsden from
Mercer from Warwick
Christo Thiardt & Milo from Canterbury
GSD, Paula Guy from Sittingbourne *
Carla Nieuwenhuizen from Banbury
Maidstone
Mark Bailey & Rolo from
Gravesend GRxL, Stacey
Moar from Cambridge
* Carla Alves Da
Silva from Solihull
Manchester
Lisa Daley & Nellie from
Blackpool GRxL, from Kenilworth
Tom
Innes from Dalgety
Bay * Sian Simmons
Irene Balcombe & Kalie from Folkestone L,
Brenda Martin from
Bexleyheath * Terri
Chambers from Redditch
Dennis Freedman &
Barney from Bury GRxL,
Anne Palphramand from York, Julie Jones from York * Anita
Metcalfe from Warwick Barry Beeson & Bracken from Lancing GRxL,
Kathryn Wroe-Brown from Colchester * Ruth
Wood from Coventry
Carole Holmes & Inca from Blackpool LxGR,
Heather Lowe from
Bolton * Jane Innes from Stourbridge Ellen Bratby & Inca from
Sevenoaks L, George
Wall from Thatcham
* Janie Macqueen from Fenny Compton
Ivor Jones & Badger from Sittingbourne GRxL,
Roy Brown from Hemel
Hempstead * Anita
Metcalfe from Warwick
Paul Lemm & Alex from
Bognor Regis GR,
Anthony Oram from
Chippenham * J
Roberts from Brackley
Mark Mansworth & Sage from Worthing GRxFCR,
Jean Beniston from
Bognor Regis * John
Rogers from Bromsgrove
Marie Howarth & Bertie from Oldham L,
Leonora Tromans from Kidderminster
* Jill Overton from
Birmingham
Deirdre Lee & Topper from Wigan L,
Stan Millward from
Darlington * Mrs
Wood from Leicester
Alan McLoughlin &
Gelert from Manchester
GRxL, Pamela Reeve from Nantwich * Rowena
Styles from Worcester
Andrew Nattrass & Felix from Heywood L,
Roger Steele MBE from Sheffield * Jude
Jennison from Warwick
Newcastle
Jessica Atkinson &
Lola from Wallsend
LxGR, Anne Roberts from Edinburgh * Jane
Plant from Solihull
Harry Ellis & Urma from Washington L,
Maggie Taylor from
Currie * Deborah
Kelsey from Coventry
Helen Moffatt & Max from Choppington
GRxL, Pam Cruickshank from Aberdeen * Maria
Leggett from Oxford
Helen Robinson &
Daisy from Newcastle
Upon Tyne LxGR, Ruth
Thompson from Ayr
* Janie Macqueen from Fenny Compton
Chelsea Greeley & Locky from Newcastle GRxL,
Jennifer Waddell from
Letham * Catherine
Parker from Telford
James Robert Sales &
Kasper from Morpeth
GRxL, Doctor G
Filser from Truro *
Roger Morgan from
West Malvern
Liam Hackett & Carlton from Hebburn GRxL,
Hanley from Telford
Stewart Ingham &
GRxL,
GRxL,
Valerie Will from Birmingham
William Jackson & from Biggar, Lesley
Stewart from South
Queensferry * Sian from Cleator Moor
GRxGSD, Robert &
Vera Gordon from
Aberdeen * Mandy
Michael & Jean Bird from
Dumfries * Samantha
Conway from Saltburn from Ayr * Jill Overton
Hamish from Whitehaven
Denise Dudds
Simmons from Kenilworth
Gill Jenkins & Bonnie from Darlington L,
Clare Murray from
Carluke * Deborah
Kelsey from Coventry
Angela Jolly & Krystal
Matkin from Burntwood
Rachel Simpson & Kara from Newcastle-Upon-
Tyne GRxL, Helen
Baird from Belfast
* Roger Morgan from West Malvern
Ben Siney & Logan from Morpeth LxGR,
Carol & David Greer from Kirkcaldy * Erica
Dowse from Coventry
Brian Usher & Monty from
South Shields GSD,
Adams from Banchory
* Carla Nieuwenhuizen from Banbury
Nottingham
Peter Blueitt & Kyso from Rotherham L,
A
Doctor Claire Doidge from Sheffield, Dennis
Marsden from Sheffield *
Anne Baulch from Rugby
Thomas Briggs & Winnie from Ripley L, Lorraine
Meehan from Wetherby *
Dawn Collins from Telford
42 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014

Irene Cooper & Ziggy from Chesterfield
GRxL, James Hynd from
Glenrothes * Claire
Green from Southam
Keith Williamson &
Heidi from Rotherham
GRxL, Angela Baker from Taunton * Ruth
Philpott from Malvern
Phillip Taylor & Ben from Norwich GSD,
Rebecca Forrest from
Southampton * Mrs
Tindall from Coventry
Trevor Johns & Kelti from Swindon L,
Nicola Andrews from
Wokingham * Annette
Smith from Swadlincote
Nathan Cooper &
Austin from Doncaster
GRxL, Kathleen Sluggett from Exmouth * D
Ward from Rugby
Chelsee Dickinson &
Kaisha from Doncaster
GRxGSD, Mrs Sherred from Shipley * Mandy
Matkin from Burntwood
Samantha Lacey &
Liz from Doncaster
GRxL, Iris Cargill from
Arbroath * Claire
Green from Southam
Fred Marklew & Honey from Mexborough
GRxL, Kath Kelly from
Tamworth * Elbert
Loubser from Bicester
Melanie Myers &
Drummond from Sheffield
GRxL, Derek Mattocks from Doncaster * Mrs
Bedding from Southam
Lyndsey Rushton & Sandy from Doncaster LxGR,
Angela Woodhead from Clitheroe * Jane
Plant from Solihull
Peterborough
Rebecca Atkinson &
Flora from Norwich GR,
Carolyn Lantaff from
Rayleigh * Regina Cardo from Kingswinford
Mark Banham & Zante from Norwich GRxGSD,
Myriam Steadman from
Welling * Peter Meadows from Lutterworth
Thomas Clark & Russell from Cromer GRxL,
Janice McCauley from
Sittingbourne * Ruth
Wood from Coventry
Margaret Green &
Pebbles from Norwich
LxGR, Patricia Canning from Southampton *
Sally Elliott from Olney
Sheila Husband &
Verity from King’s
Lynn GRxL, Angela and Paul James from
Chelmsford * Jackie
Ellison from Coventry
Anne Sutherland & Ice from Newark GRxL,
Lisburn * Janet Ball from Stourbridge
Sandra Taggart from
Carol Lyne & Annie from Lowestoft GR,
Elizabeth Vickers from
High Wycombe * J
Roberts from Brackley
Lynne Thorpe & Polly from
High Peak GRxL, Patricia
Davis from York * Mrs
Dawson from Kenilworth
Sandra Robinson &
Rose from Dereham
GR, Myra Pritchard from
Southampton * Gill
Moss from Banbury
John Townley & Amy from Doncaster GR, Mrs
D Miller from Plymouth *
J Roberts from Brackley
Reverend Simon
Stokes & Hope from
Norwich L, Rosemary
Thompson from Witham
* Karen Robbens from
Leamington Spa
Sarah Wilby & Sassy from
Beccles L , Diane Page from Clacton-on-Sea
Hannah Young &
Diane from Felixstowe
LxGR, Joanne Hudson from Chelmsford *
Tracy Twomey from
Leamington Spa
Reading
Richard Barrett & DJ from
Woburn Sands GRxGSD,
Judy Cockburn from
Chelmsford * Trudy
Evans from Coventry
Janet Bennett & Billy from Witney GR, Fran
Taylor from Westerham
* Jacquie Williams from
Moreton-in-Marsh
Bill Douglas & Zorba from Crawley GRxGSD ,
Marjorie Culham from Manningtree
* Peter Meadows from Lutterworth
Vicki Edwards & Queenie from Oxford L, Verity
Smith from Ipswich * Mrs
Phipps from Lechlade
Philip Fearon & Maxwell from Ascot GR, Christine
Burton from Hoddesdon
* Gill Moss from Banbury
Kate Giannetto & Paula from Milton Keynes L,
Rachel Spillane from
Newbury * Phipps from Lechlade
Jason Hallett & Tiny from
Sunbury On Thames
GRxL , Yvonne Neary from Ashford * Julia
Maxwell from Kenilworth
Geoff Lloyd & Arleigh from Lancing L , Lois
Jane Waite from London
* Karen Robbens from
Leamington Spa
Susan Manterfield & Ron from High Wycombe
GRxL, Lesley Warren from Basildon, Elizabeth
Greenaway from
Wickford * Jackie
Ellison from Coventry
Daphne Quinton &
Gloria from Chichester
LxGR, Jackie Youell from Rickmansworth, Su
Brooker from Harpenden,
Meredith Mistry from
Harrow * Anna Adams from Daventry
Carl Williams & Dancer from High Wycombe
GRxGSD, Karen Bateman from Huntingdon * Trudy
Evans from Coventry
Shrewsbury
Bradlee Atcheson &
Dusty from Tamworth
GRxL, Brenda Abson from Rotherham * Carol
Mannion from Coventry
Michael Collier &
Stevie from Leek
LxGR, Dorianne Butler from Malton * Sandra
Bradburn-Vazquez from Lichfield
Ann Gower & Franklin from Walsall L, Jennifer
Emmerson from South
Shields * Rebecca
Leat from Towcester
Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014 43

Elizabeth Hawkins &
Buckle from Telford L,
Shannon Hemming &
Dennis from Halesowen
L, Wendy D’Arcy from
Northwich * Christina
Bloxham from Worcester
Ben Jesson & Uska from Kingswinford L,
Patricia Joyce from
Abingdon * Jeanette
Hannon from Oldbury
Kelly Keen & Allie from Newcastle Under
Lyme L, Gill Gardiner from Kingswinford *
Karen Robbens from
Leamington Spa
Bosiljka Despinic-Jovetic from Solihull * Mrs
Phipps from Lechlade
Karen Lamond & Vicky from Stoke-on-Trent
GRxL, Janet Peters from
Kingsteignton, Geoff and Rowena Myers from Exeter * Jackie
Ellison from Coventry
Jason Lane & Crispin from Oldbury L, Ann
Smith from Ilkeston
* Mrs Chester from
Stratford-Upon-Avon
Carol Sadler & Marnie from Stone GRxL,
* Julia Duncan from Daventry
Lynn
Airey from Chesterfield
Kenneth Hampton-
Harrison & Ike from
Cerne Abbas L, Joanne
Hateley from Sutton
Coldfield * Janie
Macqueen from
Fenny Compton Julie Southcombe &
India from Bridgnorth
GRxL, Josephine Daykin from Nottingham * Claire
Green from Southam
Laura Potter & Liam from Hayling Island
LxGR, Steve Haberfield from Derby * Joyce
Bartlett from Rugby Russell Stephenson &
Sparks from Brierley Hill
GRxL, Donna Lee from
Preston * Sian Simmons from Kenilworth
Stephen Radmore & Usef from Southampton L,
David Miller from Fenny
Compton * Jeanette
Hannon from Oldbury Jonathon Watkiss
& JJ from Stafford
GRxFCR, Carol Bruce from Prestwick * Alison
Jordan from Stafford
Heather Sandra Tucker
& Otto from Melksham
LxGR , Anna Green from Chelmsford * Sally
Elliott from Olney Bill Wood & Wyn from
Halesowen L, Christine
Neeson from Nottingham
* Jenny Ashley-Smith from Coventry
Southampton
Eric Tuckwell & Zola from Newport GRxGSD,
Yvonne Strawson from Cwmbran
* Peter Meadows from Lutterworth
Basil Chappell & Amos from Fareham L,
Leamington Spa
Jean
Batchelor from Solihull
* Karen Robbens from
Nicola West & Hilly from Romsey LxGR, S
De Gruchy from Jersey
* Tracy Twomey from
Leamington Spa
Brian Moores & Merlin from Halesowen GRxGSD,
Stacey Dawn Roberts from Mansfield * Sue
Herman from Warwick
Angela Emerson &
Lynton from Salisbury GR,
Mrs Scott from Newton
Abbot * Elizabeth
Morris from Tamworth
William Pickford &
Kruger from Stoke-on-
Trent GRxL, Mark Wilson from Southport * Mrs
Bedding from Southam
Thelma Evans &
Zebedee from Ferndown
GRxL, Susan Burge from Weston-Super-
Mare * Ruth Philpott from Malvern
Welwyn Garden City
Elliott Belford & Charlie from Chelmsford
L, Catherine Beisley from Godalming * Mr
& Mrs Poulter from
Stratford-Upon-Avon
John Rowlands & Duke from Stoke-on-Trent L,
June Buffry from
Ashby De La Zouch,
Olwyn Stevenson from
Wolverhampton
Aaron Fowler & Banwell from Yateley L, Sheelagh
Sale from Winscombe *
Joan Perry from Southam
Ann Fairweather &
Autumn from Brentwood
GRxL, Colin Comley from Swindon, Carol
Laycock from Wantage
* D Ward from Rugby
Phil Jarvis & Zeeta from High Wycombe
GRxGSD, Sue Langdon from Longfield
* Peter Meadows from Lutterworth
Donna Plaice & Sidney from Banbury L, Pat
Walsh from Colchester *
Mrs Phipps from Lechlade
Jennifer Revel & Andy from Tring GR, Pat
Tuffs from Dartford * J
Roberts from Brackley
Helen Tanner & Jessie from Ipswich GRxL,
Pamela Lancaster-Smith from Worcester Park
* D Ward from Rugby
Valerie Taylor & Elton from Broxbourne GR,
Patricia Harlow from Dereham *
Barbara Walker from
Sutton Coldfield
Christopher Watt &
William from Hemel
Hempstead L, Michele
Green from Billericay
* Christina Bloxham from Worcester
The photos on these pages are illustrative only; they do not correspond to listed partnerships.
44 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014

Bella * 27.05.14 * L *
Bitch * Mrs JM Perry from Southam * Ms L
Burnett from Derby
Chrissie * 21.02.14 * L *
Bitch * Mr & Mrs Cope from Birmingham * Ms E
Carr from Maidstone
Darcy * 13.03.14 * L * Bitch
* Outside Bred * Mrs K
Holt from Abingdon
Echo * 18.02.14 * GSD
* Bitch * Mrs SE Wilkins from Rugby * Mr I
Boyde from Bangor
Firth * 01.04.14 * L * Stud
* Outside Bred * Mrs F
Taylor from Westerham
Gabby * 01.04.14 * L *
Bitch * Mrs A Ashley from Daventry * Mrs S
Taylor from Farnham
Gael * 21.02.14 * L * Bitch
* Mrs A Ashley from
Daventry * Miss K Bennett from Mountain Ash * Miss E
Bullimore from Pontypool from Rugby * Mr J Harding from Leamington Spa
Ivy * 14.05.14 * GRxL *
Bitch * Mrs J Brinkworth from Nuneaton * Mrs A
Arnold from Swindon Greg * 18.02.14 * L *
Stud * Mrs A Ashley from Daventry * Mrs M
Jefferies from Nuneaton
Jadie * 21.02.14 * L *
Bitch * Mr & Mrs Dawson from Kenilworth * Mrs
S Baxter from Yeovil Hazel * 12.03.14 * L *
Bitch * Mrs J Overton from Birmingham * Mrs J
Overton from Birmingham
Jasmin * 23.05.14 * L *
Bitch * Outside Bred * Mrs
J Parker from Warwick
Heidi * 12.03.14 * L * Bitch
* Mrs J Overton from
Birmingham * Mrs J Taylor from Canvey Island
Jasmine * 18.02.14 *
GRxGR * Bitch * Mrs
M Cheesman from
Southam * Mrs SJ Curry from Birmingham Honey * 06.05.14 * GRxL
* Bitch * Mr P Rackham from Rugby * Mrs M
Luxton from Gillingham
Jeffrey * 14.05.14 * GR *
Stud * Outside Bred * Mrs
P Revell from Solihull
Hope * 06.05.14 * GRxL
* Bitch * Mr P Rackham
Jethro * 06.05.14 * L *
Stud * Outside Bred * Mrs
P Belton from Didcot
Maria * 12.03.14 * L *
Bitch * Mrs A Ashley from Daventry * Mrs S
Hawkins from Stafford
Paris * 27.05.14 * L *
Bitch * Mrs JM Perry from Southam * Mrs K
Wilson from Livingston
Penny * 01.04.14 * L *
Bitch * Outside Bred *
Mrs J Cairns from Wirral
Perry * 06.05.14 * L *
Stud * Mrs JM Perry from
Southam * Mr DA Smith from Bridge Of Don
Unis * 18.02.14 * GRXL
* Bitch * Mrs S Heaps from Bedford * Mrs J
Wilson from Glasgow
We are always looking for more volunteer brood bitch holders, who look after our guide dog ‘mums’ in their own homes. You need to live within an hour’s drive of our National
Breeding Centre, near Leamington, not work more than four hours per day, have a secure garden, and be able to transport the guide dog mum to and from the centre. For more information, please call 0845 372 7432 or email bshenquiries@guidedogs.org.uk
Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014 45

Talking shop
Thanks to Gaynor Stewart from Lytham St Annes, for pointing out that, in addition to the Guide Dogs charity shop at Leamington Guide
Dog Training School, another shop is open in Congleton, organised by Geoff Holmes.
To both shops – thank you and keep up the good work!
form of mobility and, of course, wonderful friendship with four magnificent dogs – Troy, Isaac, Eddy and now my dream dog,
Max. Sincerest thanks.
Jon Nixey
Thanks to all at Guide Dogs
28 June 2014 marked the
25th anniversary of the day
I signed my name on the dotted line for my first guide dog, Troy. To everyone who has played a role in the progress of Guide Dogs, my deepest thanks! You have all played a part in my having such a high quality
Giving something back
Last year we lost German shepherd Tiffany, our beloved rehomed guide dog. We then rehomed
Kiera, equally loved by us. We wanted to give something back to Guide
Dogs and have become active fundraisers. Since joining three months ago, we’ve raised nearly £900 so far. Most rewarding are the wonderful people you meet, and who give so generously.
Tom and Yvonne Beaumont,
Church Stretton supporter group
To get involved with your local fundraising group or to set up your own, email charli.gibson@guidedogs.org.uk
or call 07825 905918.
Thank you to rehomer Susie Boissier for sending in this beautiful photo of retired guide dog Jess in the bluebells. She’s certainly got a spring in her step! Please send your caption idea on a postcard to Forward, Guide
Dogs, Hillfields, Burghfield Common,
Reading RG7 3YG , or email forward@ guidedogs.org.uk
with your name and address. There’s a £10 Marks and
Spencer voucher for the winner.
The winner of the last caption competition was Mrs W Stafford from Morpeth with: “They’re going to regret teaching me to read!” Congratulations – we hope you enjoy your voucher.
Competition rules
The competitions are open to anyone resident in the UK, except employees of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, their families and anyone connected with the competition. No purchase necessary. Proof of posting cannot be accepted as proof of delivery. No responsibility can be accepted for entries delayed, damaged or mislaid or wrongly delivered. Illegible entries will be disqualified. Only one original entry is allowed per envelope. The winners will be notified by either post or telephone and the results will be published in the next issue of the magazine. The winners must agree to the publication of their names, photographs and any publicity, if requested. In all matters concerning the competitions the Editor’s decision is final. No correspondence can be entered into. Entry implies acceptance of the rules. The closing date for these competitions is 31 October 2014.
46 Forward Magazine | Autumn 2014

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