Torquay United AFC is proud to be in partnership with Torbay Council and show its support for Guide Dogs’ campaign to assist the blind community.
The link-up, which has already seen both parties join forces at United’s Community Day and the Music on the Meadows events, has already shown signs of bearing fruit, with Guide Dogs introducing themselves to a new audience at TUAFC’s increasingly popular Retro Gulls initiative recently.
In addition to this, during the close-season, Guide Dogs were announced as the official staff sponsor of Club Doctor Vivek Kulkarni, whilst the presence of one of the charity’s famous fundraising containers in Plainmoor’s Boots & Laces bar only serves to further illustrate the bond that continues to grow.
Alarming statistics show that every six minutes in the UK, one more person loses their sight, and every day 250 more people join the 2 million already living with sight loss.
This number is set to double by 2050, and Guide Dogs is working to give people with sight loss the confidence and skills they need to live the life they choose. However, Guide Dogs rely on donations from the public to keep their life-changing services running, with less than 1% of our income coming from government funding.
How long does guide dog training last?
Guide dog puppies are learning from day one with their mum, then with their Puppy Raisers. From a young age they will go on public transport, into shops and cafés and need to have good basic skills, such as sit and recall. They leave their Puppy Raisers at around 14 months of age to start their education at one of the Guide Dogs centres. Tasks are taught in ‘dog friendly’ steps and they become a fully trained guide dog in around 20 weeks, ready to be partnered with a Guide Dog Owner (a person who is blind or partially sighted). They then train together for a minimum of five weeks learning their routes, before qualifying as a partnership.
How many guide dog owners are there in the UK?
This changes every day, but there are around 5,000 people in the U.K with a guide dog and the number grows every year. Note – you may wish to add here: A guide dog doesn’t suit everyone, it depends on each person’s preference and need. All together, we work with around 8000 dogs, including puppies and our guide dog mums and dads.
How many pups do you breed each year?
Guide Dogs is the largest breeder of working dogs in the world. Over 1000 guide dog puppies a year are born, mainly in volunteer’s homes. are supported by our state-of-the-art National Breeding Centre. We use science and technology in our work, to improve all aspects of our breeding programme so that we can produce the healthiest guide dogs
How can I get involved locally?
Guide Dogs have a Torbay Volunteer Group who raise much needed funds for Guide Dogs through collections and selling merchandise in the Torbay, Newton Abbot areas. The group visit schools, Women’s Institutes, Brownie & Scout groups as well as schools to talk about Guide Dogs and how to help and raise awareness of the importance of Guide Dogs assisting those that are visually impaired. If you would like to donate, book a talk with a speaker from our group or register to volunteer please join their Facebook Group on Facebook HERE.
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