News & info

Weather Lottery

 

Please help us raise much-needed funds for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People by participating in our new Lottery. Every line that is entered enables us to train more dogs for deaf people. So please help us by filling in your entry today. Your support is appreciated.

How does it work?
Choose six numbers from 0 to 9 and enter them in the centre panel inside the leaflet. If your numbers match the last digit of the daily Fahrenheit temperatures (in the right place) of Corfu, Istanbul, Tenerife, Innsbruck, Edinburgh and Stockholm, you win the top prize of…£10,000!

 

How much does it cost?
Each entry line (each set of six numbers) costs £1 per week. There is a draw every weekday from Monday to Thursday, so you have a chance of winning a prize four times a week!

How do I pay?
There are three ways to pay. Complete the monthly standing order, make a card payment or pay by cheque or postal order. Please make cheques payable to Prize Provision Services Ltd.

Where does my money go?
All the money is kept securely in a stakeholder fund, and more than a third comes back to us.

How do I know if I have won?
You can check your numbers in the Daily Telegraph or at www.theweatherlottery.com. However, there is no need for you to check them, as all prizes are guaranteed and sent out automatically.

 

Apply to join lottery online
Apply to join lottery (standing order)
See recent lottery winners 
 

 

Dogs @ Play Appeal 2008

 

TV presenter Kate Humble has launched her Dogs@Play Appeal aiming to raise £20,000 to fund the development of a new sand-filled outdoor compound and the construction of climbing frames, dog dens and sand boxes for the indoor runs at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People training centres: The Grange in Buckinghamshire and a new facility in Bielby, East Yorkshire, which is due to open in the summer of 2008.

 

Kate, who is a presenter of BBC’s Springwatch and a supporter of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, was particularly interested in this appeal following the Charity’s small research project which showed that not only does an enriched environment improve the well-being of dogs in kennels but that it can also enhance their performance in training. 

 

Kate explains: “Hearing Dogs has regularly provided the dogs in their care with a variety of balls and bones to play with but these would often roll under the kennel door, out of reach – defeating their objective.  Seeking to provide the dogs with a wider variety of play activities – ones which the dogs would enjoy for longer – the team set about measuring the dogs’ level of play and interaction when different toys and activities were introduced. 

 

“As a presenter of the BBC’s Springwatch programme I’ve been privileged to observe many wild animals at play, and the result of the Charity’s research bears a fascinating correlation to the natural behaviours of other animals.  Digging in sand and water pools, and hiding behind large objects and jumping out onto an unsuspecting friends are an important part of any animal’s social development; learning about the world, interacting with others and embracing life.  We want to build sand-pits, water pools, dens to hide in and ramps to climb on, as well as provide popular toys like activity balls, bones on ropes and raggers to shake and tug; to ensure that our trainee hearing dogs are just as happy in their kennel environment as animals are in their natural habitats.

 

“All donations will help us raise the £20,000 needed to provide the very best play environment for these wonderful dogs who will go on to enrich the lives of deaf people throughout the UK.”

 

If you would like to make a donation to this appeal please send a cheque or postal order to:
Kate Humble’s Dogs@Play Appeal, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, The Grange, Wycombe Road, Saunderton, Princes Risborough, Bucks,  HP27 9NS.  Please make cheques payable to Hearing Dogs and print your name and postcode on the back.

 

Hearing Dogs Week - 2nd to 8th June 2008

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is pleased to announce a selection of events to celebrate Hearing Dogs Week 2008. Throughout the week schools across the country will be participating in our 'Togs for Dogs' scheme, culminating in a special Togs for Dogs Day at our headquarters in Buckinghamshire on Friday 6 June, where a number of children will have the opportunity to tour our headquarters, meet hearing dog puppies, learn to sign a song, have their faces painted and learn more about Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

The biggest event of Hearing Dogs Week is our Summer Fayre on Sunday 8 June. This year the fayre is bigger and better than ever with a wide variety of activities and entertainment for all age groups. Visitors can see hearing dog demonstrations, bring their pet dogs along to participate in dog agility games, peruse a wide variety of stalls and even take advantage of free pet health checks from the PDSA.

For more information on the Summer Fayre please contact Ruth Dunkin on 01844 348136 or email ruth.dunkin@hearingdogs.org.uk

Noise Action Week - 19th to 23rd May

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is happy to work with Environmental Protection UK to promote Noise Action Week 2008.

Noise Action Week gives everyone involved in managing noise problems the opportunity to focus public and media attention on the difficulties excessive noise can cause for us all – at home, at work, at study and at leisure - Noise Action Week provides an opportunity to:

• Encourage everyone to consider the noises we make and noise that bothers us, and what can be done to reduce it
• Raise awareness of local authority, housing, consultancy, mediation and other services available to help people tackle noise problems
• Promote communication and consideration between neighbours
• Educate and inform noise makers and noise sufferers about the impact noise can have on our everyday lives
• Promote practical solutions to everyday noise problems

For ideas and inspiration on what you can do see www.noiseactionweek.org.uk

 

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Hearing dog Finalist

Hearing dog Tilly was shortlisted for a Dogs Trust ‘Hero Dog’ Award in February 2008.

Roy says “Since having Tilly my life has turned around.  She is so full of life and energy and that rubs off on me.  Not only is she my constant companion, but my ears and my life.  I now stop to talk to people because they want to know how I came by such a beautiful dog.  I cannot believe she had such a terrible start in life – being abandoned and left to die as a very young pup in Ireland..." 

Click here to read more about Tilly’s story.

Hearing dog Budgie goes to Downing Street

Hearing dog Budgie, a tiny mongrel, accompanied by his profoundly deaf owner Tracy Lewis from Westbury in Wiltshire, went to Downing Street on Wednesday 6 February along with four other assistance dogs and their disabled owners.  The five assistance dog partnerships were campaigning against the discrimination they face from service providers; despite the Disability Discrimination Act.
 
Hearing Dogs, Canine Partners, Dogs for the Disabled, Guide Dogs and Support Dogs are working together as Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK) to promote rights of access to restaurants, shops and other services for assistance dog users.

2008 is Year of the Assistance Dog, and the delegation met Phil Hope MP, Minister for the Third Sector, to give personal accounts of the problems they face when attempting to travel by taxis, or use services and amenities.

The group comprised of: Profoundly deaf Tracy Lewis and hearing dog Budgie; visually impaired Desi Veeran with guide dog Zally;  Dogs for the Disabled client Jack Pegram with his assistance dog Berry; Tony Brown-Griffin, from Kent – representing the charity Support Dogs, with Ajay, a seizure alert dog; and Claire Graham with Canine Partner dog Ulli.

During the visit, Phil Hope MP was presented with Dog Star Awards on behalf of Downing Street and the Cabinet Office, in recognition of the accessibility for guide and assistance dog users.  In coming months, assistance dog users will nominate retailers, leisure facilities, public premises, and transport operators for similar Dog Star awards, giving service providers an incentive to make their premises assistance dog friendly.

Dog Star Awards will be symbols of excellence, given in recognition that premises and services meet the needs of all assistance dog users.  For example, provision of Braille menus for blind and partially sighted people, induction loops for customers with hearing impairment, wheelchair access, and of course - water bowls for the assistance dogs!

Alan Brooks, Chairman of ADUK, explains: “Although there are many examples of good practice, assistance dog users continue to encounter problems accessing a variety of environments from shops, hotels, pubs, and restaurants, to public transport and high street pedestrian areas.  This discrimination is both unacceptable and against the law, so by highlighting good practice, we hope it will become the norm, and that in future, our vision of doors always being open to all assistance dog users will become reality.”

Phil Hope MP said: “I’m very pleased to accept the Assistance Dogs UK award on behalf of the Cabinet Office and 10 Downing Street.  The Government wants to achieve full equality for disabled people by 2025, but to do this we need to hear the views of people who are affected.  I thank Assistance Dogs UK for giving voice to the people they represent and will certainly discuss what I have learned today with ministerial colleagues.”

For further information, and links to ADUK member charity websites – where Dog Star nominations can be made – log on to www.assistancedogs.org.uk

News on the building of our new training centre in Bielby, Yorkshire

It has certainly been a long time in the planning but we’re delighted to report that on Wednesday 14 November 2007 the diggers moved in at Bielby and scooped the first of many sods of earth. Chief executive, Ian Ford, reports…

Ever since we acquired Bielby in April 2006 progress has at times been painfully slow, mostly due to all the processes involved in a major project like this. But now that all the pre-construction meetings have taken place and the project manager and site manager from York House Construction have made their important visit to The Grange to get a clear idea of what we do and what we want to achieve at Bielby, preparation work on the Bielby site can begin.

Building is scheduled for completion during the summer of 2008. We are resolved to be considerate and keep noise and disruption to an absolute minimum for the sake of our relationship with future neighbours and residents at Bielby who may be contemplating the worst and have dropped a flyer through their letter boxes to this effect.

E-newsletter

We are delighted to bring you Hearing Dogs' new monthly e-newsletter. We thank you for your patience in waiting for this and appreciate that you may be wondering why it has taken so long. Due to a few technical difficulties we decided to wait until December to re-launch. Please click HERE to subscribe

Year of the Assistance Dog

Did you know that 2008 has been designated the Year of the Assistance Dog?

Throughout 2008 Hearing Dogs will be working closely with the four other assistance dog charities that make up Assistance Dogs (UK), (AD(UK)), The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, Dogs for the Disabled, Canine Partners and Support Dogs – to create a more accessible environment for its partnerships by introducing a new Dog Star award scheme. AD(UK) is the umbrella organisation working on behalf of its members to improve access, mobility, independence and quality of life.

Speaking on behalf of AD(UK) members, Jenny Moir says: “Increasingly, people with assistance dogs are coming up against barriers and discrimination – despite the Disability Discrimination Act stating that assistance dogs constitute no health and safety risk to the public and should be accepted as one of the ‘reasonable adjustments’ that employers and businesses are expected to make for disabled people.

“The Year of the Assistance Dog gives us a strong platform from which AD(UK) can work together to achieve a shared goal. Throughout 2008 AD(UK) will be awarding Dog Stars to organisations and businesses which represent outstanding examples of accessibility to assistance dog partnerships. By rewarding and encouraging good practice it will also highlight any unfairness and prejudice that still exists".

 

Assistance Dogs UK is the umbrella organisation representing the interests of its five member charities:

• Canine Partners
• Dogs for the Disabled
• Hearing Dogs for Deaf People
• Support Dogs
• The Guide Dogs for The Blind Association

For further information on Assistance Dogs UK and its member organisations please see the enclosed leaflet or go to: http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/assistance-dogs.php

Archived News

Hearing Dogs 25th Birthday Party was a success!!

As part of their ongoing 25th Anniversary celebrations this year, national charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People held a birthday party on Monday 10 September at the elegant Vintners Hall in east London.  Many of the Charity’s celebrity supporters were there, and an amazing selection of auction prizes helped to make the evening a huge success.

Guests were welcomed as they arrived with a champagne reception where they had a chance to meet two deaf people with their hearing dogs as well as some Hearing Dogs’ staff.  The evening was hosted by TV presenters Ben Fogle and Kate Humble who, with the help of two adorable hearing dog puppies, got the celebrations off to a flying start.  Both Ben and Kate worked hard selling raffle tickets around the 120 specially invited guests, and were in competition with each other to see who could sell the most!  The raffle prizes were donated by companies and individuals who support the Charity’s work, as were the auction prizes later in the evening.  

Click here to read more.

Joe's Challenge

Celebrity vet Joe Inglis has now completed his latest challenge in 2007 to sail 150 miles down the River Thames in a giant dog bowl called the ‘Mutty Bark’  to raise funds for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

This was Joe's second challenge to raise money for Hearing Dogs. In 2006 he and Jack walked 100 miles eating only his own brand of dog food.





Joe described how he felt just before he set off on this latest challenge:

“People have said I must be barking mad to embark on this adventure, and they’ve probably got a point.  It’s a plastic cattle drinking trough. I am hoping it will float, although it’s not particularly stable”. Click here to read more.

Joe is known for his appearances on the highly successful BBC One programme ‘Vets in Practice’. The programme followed his life and career as a vet through thick and thin, and was shown for 11 series between 1996 and 2003. 

Recently Joe founded his own natural pet food company, ‘Pets’ Kitchen’, which has allowed him to take his passion for healthy cookery for pets and turn his home-cooked recipes into natural complete diets for dogs and cats. He named the foods, ‘Joe & Jack’s’ and ‘Joe & Jill’s’ after his faithful collie cross dog Jack and tabby cat Jill!

Click here to view Joe’s website. www.petskitchen.co.uk/joes-page.asp

 

 

“After 150 miles, over 2 million paddle stokes, and 9 days on the river I finally made it to Putney. It felt amazing to reach the end, where I was met by my wife and daughter, as well as several hearing dogs and their owners which was wonderful.

The final day wasn't without its hiccups - losing an oar for a start but we made it on time and now I can look forward to a very well earned rest!!”

Click here to see Joe’s challenge video diary

 

'Faithful Friend' rose launched for Hearing Dogs at Chelsea Flower Show

Peter Beales Roses in 2007 launched a new rose named ‘Faithful Friend’ in honour of Hearing Dogs.  The beautiful bright yellow highly scented rose was launched at Chelsea Flower Show, with a little help from the Charity’s own faithful friends Esther Rantzen and hearing dog Eva (pictured left)!

Peter Beales learned about Hearing Dogs through our partnership with Rotary International in 2006, and the name - which reflects the close partnership between a hearing dog and its deaf recipient - was suggested by local vet Paul Jarman. 

Peter's daughter Amanda Beales says: “Unique to us in the UK, the superb, double blooms of this small shrub rose open up to display a coronet of amber coloured anthers. They are borne in clusters continuously throughout the summer.  We were delighted to introduce this excellent yellow rose for Hearing Dogs during their 25th anniversary.”

Regan is voted top dog

Fluffy mongrel Regan, hearing dog to Elizabeth Hadden from Fife, was voted top dog in our Hero Hounds competition.  A spokesperson for the Charity said: "All 1300 of the hearing dogs placed since our inception in 1982 have been heroes in their own right.  However, Regan is a well-deserving winner in this one-off award during our 25th anniversary year.  She combined her training with her own initiative to warn her deaf owner of a danger about which she had no experience, but realised was threatening Elizabeth.  Her persistence in alerting Elizabeth with the alert for 'danger' (touching with a paw and then dropping to the ground) very possibly saved Elizabeth's life."       

Click here to read more about Regan - and to see the four runners up.

'Dogapillar' completes London Marathon for Hearing Dogs!

A six-person sausage dog, created from a centipede costume by Hearing Dogs' volunteer Marion Ewart, successfully completed the London Marathon in 2007.  12 MBA students from Cranfield School of Management - including hearing dog recipient Steve Allum - took turns to run inside the impressive costume!

pic courtesy of Andy Handley, MK News

Gabit Events presents...Amanda Tapping
- a weekend with her fans - the return!

Star of cult science-fiction TV series 'Stargate SG-1' Amanda Tapping returned to Heathrow in 2006 to meet fans and raise more funds for Hearing Dogs. 

At a similar event in 2004, loyal fans helped raise enough money to sponsor hearing dog, Dolly - who has adopted the sponsor name 'Gabbie' in honour of her generous supporters!

This time the total raised on the day thanks to just 200 generous fans was over £20,000!

 

Click on the links below to read other news items and useful information...

News items

Organise an exhibition pool match - with a world champion!

Useful information

Support Hearing Dogs by selling on eBay

Support Hearing Dogs when you shop online at your favourite stores!

  
Organise an exhibition pool match -
with a world champion!

World champion pool player and hearing dog recipient Carl Morris has come up with a new scheme to help Hearing Dogs.  He is available to play an exhibition pool match in your local, pub, club or workplace - raising funds for Hearing Dogs.  Contact Peter Hutchins on 01844 348112 or email Peter for more information.

 

Support Hearing Dogs by selling on eBay!

MissionFish and eBay have teamed up to bring you eBay for Charity, a fundraising programme that offers an easy way for people to support their favourite charity, by buying and selling on eBay.

MissionFish verifies charities, collects and distributes donations, and provides online tracking and other support for charities and donors.

Click here to access our own home page created by MissionFish in conjunction with eBay.

How it works (sellers)

• register with eBay (it’s free and easy)
• register with MissionFish (free and easy)
• select a percentage or the full selling price to donate to Hearing Dogs
• list your item/s on eBay
• at end of auction, seller sends proceeds to MissionFish
• MissionFish distributes money to charity

To buy on eBay, just register and bid away at any objects you desire. 

Online shopping helps Hearing Dogs...

...with Charity Checkout

We’ve teamed up with Charity Checkout to give you the chance to shop at well-known stores like HMV, Asda, John Lewis and Next and still support Hearing Dogs. The stores have agreed to give a percentage of every sale that comes through the Charity Checkout website to the purchaser’s chosen
charity.

But don't worry! Items are exactly the same price as if you were buying
directly from the stores.

Here’s what to do:
1) Go to www.charitycheckout.com
2) Sign up for free and choose Hearing Dogs as your beneficiary charity.
3) Shop as normal and a percentage of the fee for everything you buy will come to us!

 ...or with Easy Fundraising

Easy Fundraising provide a FREE service where you can shop with your favourite online stores and at no extra cost raise funds for any charity, good cause or group you choose to support. You still shop directly with each retailer as you would normally, but simply by using the links from our site first each retailer will make a cashback donation to the cause you wish to support.

For example, spend £25 with WH Smith and 3.5% will be donated. You will have raised £0.88, at no extra cost to your purchase. Make any purchase from Woolworths and 2.5% will be donated. Insure your car with The AA and raise £30, or purchase a mobile phone from Vodafone and earn £29, and so on.

It’s completely FREE to register at www.easyfundraising.org.uk