Inspiring People Page 3

The Dodd-Moore family from Bedlington in Northumberland, are marking their first Christmas with Guide Dogs buddy dog, Buddy, who they say has transformed their lives since he was partnered with five year old JJ.

Our annual People Awards celebrate our incredible volunteers, service users and staff, shining a light on their huge contribution and outstanding achievements.

As it's the end of Guide Dogs Appeal month, to help celebrate the brilliant and unique approach that our fundraisers bring to their role, here's an inspirational story of one of our fundraising volunteers and all the ways he’s given back to help the next generation of guide dogs.

Janet and Ralph Sample, from Gateshead tell their story as they celebrate 10 years of marriage, just months after they qualified together with their guide dogs Hugo and Chelsea.

We spoke to Claire, who has retinitis pigmentosa and is in the process of applying for a new guide dog. Claire takes us through the process of support from the VRS team and explains how much it helped improve her confidence.

We talk to volunteers Kath, Louise and Trudie, who are not related but are connected to one another through their dogs’ family tree.

New research found four in five parents see becoming an empty nester as a brand new chapter to be embraced and Guide Dogs wants to highlight its diverse volunteer roles for those looking for a new challenge.

Our range of volunteering opportunities not only help people with sight loss in a variety of ways but with so many roles to choose from, and the flexibility to try something different – there’s always a new challenge, fun to be had, and of course, people to meet.