Hearing Dogs charity creates virtual dog walk after fundraisers are cancelled due to Covid-19
The Great British Dog Walk, a popular series of dog walks run by charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and supported by Specsavers Audiologists, was due to take place around the country, including at Lyme Park, Disley, back in spring. Due to the pandemic, the charity was forced to postpone the walks, hoping to hold them in autumn instead. However, the ongoing situation means the walks now cannot take place at all in 2020, and the charity will lose out on thousands of pounds of income, at a time when inquiries for hearing dogs and the charity’s other services are at a record high.
In place of the usual Great British Dog Walk, the charity is now asking people to help change deaf people’s lives by walking the Virtual Great British Dog Walk.
The Virtual Great British Dog Walk is a fantastic way for people of all ages to help change deaf people’s lives while staying safe in their bubbles of no more than six and getting some fresh air and exercise. Entrants simply sign up, pick a walking route, of any length, choose a date to complete their route between Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, November 8, and set off.
Entry is £10, which will help the charity to train more life-changing hearing dogs, and entrants will receive a stylish bandana for their dog, a virtual medal, certificate, and a fun activity pack of things to do during their walk as well as entry into a free prize draw.
Walkers can also raise sponsorship for themselves or their dogs amongst friends, family and colleagues. Those raising £25 or £50 will receive a free gift as a thank you. Walkers raising sponsorship of £100 or more will receive a free hearing dog puppy sponsorship so they can follow a special pup’s training journey to become a life-changing hearing dog.
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is a national charity that trains dogs to alert deaf children and adults to important and life-saving sounds and help deaf people to leave loneliness behind, as well as offering a range of other bespoke services to anyone with hearing loss. With 12 million people affected in the UK, that’s one in six adults and 50,000 children, the charity’s support is vital to people who were all too familiar with the feeling of isolation, even before lockdown.
It costs around £40,000 to fully train and support a hearing dog for the duration of its life and Hearing Dogs for Deaf People relies on the support of donations so every walker will be helping to transform the lives of deaf people.
Carina Hummel, general manager at Specsavers Audiology, which supports the Great British Dog Walk, said: “The new Virtual Great British Dog Walk is an excellent way for people to have fun, get some exercise, enjoy the great outdoors – with or without a dog – all while supporting a fantastic cause, which is particularly important at a time when more deaf people than ever have approached Hearing Dogs for help.
“If every person who walked the Virtual Great British Dog Walk raised an extra £10 by getting themselves or their dog sponsored the charity could fully train another dog to alert deaf people to important and life-saving sounds that they would otherwise miss, and help them to leave loneliness behind.
“We’re so proud of our involvement in the Great British Dog Walk and the fact that it directly helps to transform the lives of deaf people.”
It costs £10 to sign up for the Virtual Great British Dog Walk. While sponsorship is encouraged to help Hearing Dogs train more life-changing dogs, it is not a requirement.
To sign-up to the Virtual Great British Dog Walk, or for more information, visit greatbritishdogwalk.org.
