LOCAL Guide Dogs for the Blind volunteer, Hilary Reed, has celebrated 40 years of support for the charity.
Hilary started supporting the charity in 1982 and since then, has trained over 50 guide dogs and raised hundreds of thousands of pounds through street collections, coffee mornings and other fundraising events. Yet she’s still going strong, holding two collections outside of Morrisons in Westbury this weekend, on Saturday and Sunday 10th and 11th December, from 10am-5pm both days.
“We always have a great response to the street collections in Westbury so do please come along this weekend and say hello to my guide dog puppies and if you can spare a donation, that would be very welcome,” she said.
“I’ve raised over £13,000 so far this year, but I’ve no idea how much I have raised over the last 40 years. But local people, organisations and businesses have been so generous; I’ve had so much support.
“The Guide Dogs for the Blind is a wonderful charity and I’m proud to have been involved for so long, helping to provide what is a life-changing service for the people we help,” she said.
“I took on my first puppy in 1982 and I’ve loved every minute of it; it’s so rewarding. Life is never dull, that’s for sure!”
Hilary was voted Westbury’s 2013 Person of the Year for her work with the Guide Dogs for the Blind charity. She trains the puppies from the age of seven weeks to 14 months – house training, teaching obedience, taking them to shops, on buses and trains, and socialising them with other dogs and people. Hilary ensures the puppies are ready for their full training before they are paired with their blind/partially sighted partner.
“It’s great to see the impact that a guide dog can make to someone with sight loss,” added Hilary. “When you hear a comment like ‘I can’t believe what my life is like now and what a difference it makes, all the hard work is worthwhile.
“I will have to start slowing down soon, but I’m still very keen to give talks to local groups about the Guide Dogs for the Blind. If there are any local groups interested, please email me on hilaryreed52@hotmail.com or call 07968 218569.”
Pictured: Hilary with her puppies Lucy and Tess at Westbury’s Christmas Lights Fair last Saturday.
