Assistance dogs charity receives £50k in renewed partnership with Leicestershire homebuilder

David Wilson Homes has renewed its partnership with the Loughborough-based Canine Partners for a fifth consecutive year, with a £50,000 donation from The Barratt Foundation.

The Leicestershire assistance dog charity transforms the lives of people with physical disabilities through specially trained dogs, and supports more than 350 beneficiaries.

Canine Partners’ assistance dogs are trained to help adults with a range of disabilities by taking on human-like tasks including opening and closing doors, unloading the washing machine, helping people to get undressed and even removing a card from an ATM.

During the recent visit to the charity’s facility, the David Wilson Homes team were able to learn more about the positive impact Canine Partners has from the beneficiaries themselves. The assistance dogs make a huge difference to an individual’s independence and confidence, and even take some of the caring burden away from children of those with disabilities.

David Watson, Corporate Relationships Manager at Canine Partners, said: “We were delighted to welcome Andy Button-Stephens, Head of The Barratt Foundation, and John Dillon, Regional Managing Director of David Wilson Homes, to the Midlands Training Centre to have a tour, observe a dog demonstration and hear a talk from one of our partners.

“Going into the fifth consecutive year of our partnership with David Wilson Homes, we were also delighted to receive a donation of £50,000, from the Barratt Foundation, to support our work in breeding and training assistance dogs for people with disabilities across the UK. This donation will also support our vital aftercare service once a partnership between someone with a disability and the assistance dog has been formed.”

Having partnered with the charity for five successive years and donated an amazing total of £250,000, David Wilson Homes has been able to fund the training of four dogs; Wellington, Winstone, Wilson and Bayleigh.

The leading housebuilder has also helped to build the kennels where the dogs live during training, participated in volunteering days, and assisted with landscaping at the charity premises to create more accessible areas for wheelchair users.

Canine Partners provides much-needed support for people with disabilities including cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, arthritis and muscular dystrophy. It also helps to cater for those who have suffered with other conditions including head injuries, spinal injuries and strokes.

Canine companionship has helped the charity’s partners with a range of life-changing benefits including increased independence, confidence and social interaction.

John Dillon, Regional Director at David Wilson Homes, said: “It’s a privilege to continue our partnership with such an excellent cause, as the charity’s incredible work enhances the lives of adults, young and old, with physical disabilities.

“As the UK’s largest housebuilder, it’s important for us to support the communities in which we build, and Canine Partners does that brilliantly through its work with those who need it most.”

David Wilson Homes’ donation to Canine Partners came as part of The Barratt Foundation, which is designed to support national and local charities, large and small, across the UK to leave a legacy in the communities in which the housebuilder operates.

The housebuilder has supported Canine Partners with the help of one of its contractors, MJ Evans, and previously created a circular trail around the charity’s open fields to allow future partners to bond with their dogs before the partnership takes place.

Before a puppy can become a fully-trained canine partner, they undertake a 12 to 14-month training programme with a volunteer, followed by four months of advanced training at the charity’s training centre in Leicestershire.

The dog’s training is then adapted to meet the individual needs of their new partner, and the pair will spend two weeks on a residential course to learn how to take care of one another.

Once a dog has been paired up with its partner, they stay connected for life, and the charity offers ongoing support to adapt the dog’s training, should its partner’s condition change.

For more information on how to support the charity, visit the website at Canine Partners. To learn more about David Wilson Homes, which is building new homes in Loughborough at The Skylarks, visit the website at David Wilson Homes in Leicestershire.