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Volunteers' week: celebrate our volunteers and inspire others to join Guide Dogs
Happy Volunteers' Week to all our fantastic volunteers and to those of you who are thinking of volunteering for us! From 1st to 7th June 2011 it is Volunteers Week which is a national event that celebrates the enormous contribution that millions of volunteers make across the UK. This includes our amazing Guide Dog volunteers that carry out around 12,500 activities for the organisation.
I’ve been working for Guide Dogs as Head of Volunteering for around 2 years now and I am still amazed at some of the stories that I hear about our volunteers. In my very first week I met a puppy walker who had just got their 25th puppy and was able to remember the names, breeds and life stories of all their puppies. I have since also met many branch members who are out every weekend, come rain or shine, raising important funds for the organisation.
I feel really privileged to have been able to volunteer myself as a boarder for a dual trained dog called Flo. Flo belongs to an amazing fundraising volunteer and speaker who is deaf blind and is out most weekends fundraising and raising awareness for both Guide Dogs and Hearing Dogs. She is a true inspiration and Flo is a huge part of our family. The fantastic part is that I know that we have so many volunteers at Guide Dogs who are like this and really dedicate so much time and effort to supporting the organisation.
Without our volunteers, Guide Dogs would not be able to successfully run the organisation as we do today. We estimate that our volunteers contribute around £28 million worth of work per year which is just amazing. There are around 50 different volunteering roles that are available at Guide Dogs and every single one is so important to the organisation.
On behalf of all the staff at Guide Dogs, I want to thank all our volunteers for all your time, energy and passion in supporting Guide Dogs. I would like to take the opportunity to recognise the enormous contribution our volunteers make to enabling more blind and partially sighted people to get out and about on their own terms. THANK YOU!
If you are a Guide Dogs volunteer, do tell us about your experiences of volunteering for us. We want to let other volunteers, members of staff and the public know how enjoyable and worthwhile volunteering for Guide Dogs can be. So, whether you have just started volunteering or have been volunteering for us for a long time, we want to know about your story and experiences. Have you just got your tenth puppy to walk or your first dog to board? Has volunteering given you new skills or allowed you to put your existing skills to good use? Whatever your good news story is, we want to hear about it. So, please write a brief summary of your experiences in the comments section below this article.
We would also like to take this opportunity to say hello and welcome to anyone that is thinking about volunteering for Guide Dogs. Volunteering for us is a great way to meet new people, develop new skills and make a real difference. Check out the volunteering pages of the website or contact our National Volunteering Office on 0845 371 7771 or email volunteer@guidedogs.org.uk to find out more.
Whether you are already a volunteer for Guide Dogs or are interested in getting involved, have a happy Volunteers Week!
Comments
tessa, 2:29pm Wed 1 Jun 2011:
I am a volunteer puppy walker with my third puppy. Although the first pup I walked is qualified and working in Surrey, the second was, unfortunately, withdrawn from advanced training . However, last week we adopted our lovely second girl Yarna and she will live with us for ever. At first I was very emotional as it seemed such a waste of all that training and that she is now just a statistic - one of the 30% of dogs that don't make it. Now I'm ok and can live with it. We are all enjoying having her back, none more than Yarna herself.
In spite of this, puppy walking is still the best thing I have ever done and I hope to continue for many puppies to come.
Veronica, 4:02pm Wed 1 Jun 2011:
I am a volunteer weekend boarder. I have been working with Guide Dogs Bolton for 5 years now and so far have boarded 18 dogs for varying lengths of time. I love walking and have my own dog, a cocker spaniel called Tilly who is 8 years old so we both get a lot of pleasure having the company of these young guide dogs whilst they are in training, although Tilly does help to keep them in order! I keep a list of names and have photos of my young 'guests' - especially those who happen to be around over Christmas and holidays! I can't imagine being without them!
Margaret, 10:09am Thu 2 Jun 2011:
I have been a puppy walker for 3 years now. My first puppy is a wondeful, working Guide Dog doing his share of fund raising, my second pup was too sensitive to become a Guide Dog but is now a beloved companion. My third pup, Arny, has just been withdrawn as he has had problem skin all his life. He is a real star and I have decided to adopt him. I am so pleased to be allowed to keep him, even though he is a real challenge! So my experience hasn't been total success, but i still want to have more puppies. I get so much fun and pleasure from working with them, watching them grow and turn into such beautiful dogs. I have made many friends through constant walking up and down my road and all my neighbours are delighted not to be losing Arny! He is part of the community. My next pup will sport his yellow flash and his little blue training coat with pride whether he makes the grade or not!!
Helen, 9:40pm Sat 4 Jun 2011:
I've been a border since September 2010, it fit's in well with our lifestyle and brings lots of fun in our home. Even the naughty ones. I would recomend being a volunteer as it help's you give something back that only costs you time and is so worthwhile when your dog moves on or needs you help. The staff at the centre in Atherton are a really great bunch too!!!
penny, 9:31am Mon 6 Jun 2011:
I've been a puppy walker for 5 years now and am currently wlking puppy number 6. its been a thoroughly fantastic experience. i became the co-ordinator for our local branch 3 years ago now and love the added challenge of raising funds. we are out almost every weekend with our stand and many of us are out each week doing talks as well. we have some very dedicated volunteers but desperately need more sighted people. we have a growing junior fundraising group too who we hope will remain as willing as they get older. we challenge ourselves every week to raise more money and more awareness of the work of guide dogs.