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Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
2 Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
Read all about it The latest news from Hearing Dogs
Volunteer Recruitment update It’s been a great start to 2016 with plenty of volunteer enquiries
coming in since January.
As ever, our number 1 recruitment source is YOU! Our wonderful
volunteers do such a fantastic job spreading the word be that through
talks carried out to various groups, collections and events in your
local area or simply chatting to the public while you are out and about
with one of our puppies or dogs. Special thanks go to the following
volunteers who were mentioned by name: Angela Johnson, John &
Jan Gill, Adrian & Vicky Small, Sophie Biebuyck, Stella Rees, Angela
Dawson, Kim Harbut and Yvonne Reynoldson.
Bon Voyage Georgia!
After more than 5 years at
Hearing Dogs, our Volunteer
Recruitment Coordinator, Georgia
Romeril, wishes you a fond
farewell!
“I’m jetting off to Cambodia where
I’ll begin a 4 month trip around
South East Asia. I have really
enjoyed my time at Hearing Dogs
and will take away so many
incredible memories. It has been
such a pleasure to work with and
speak to such an inspirational
group of volunteers. I have
always felt truly humbled by your
passion and dedication to the
Charity, you are all amazing.
Thank you all for everything you
have done to support me in my
job, and for Hearing Dogs in
general. Keep up the good work!
New Visitor Centre at The Grange
Exciting news! We are delighted to share with you that we have been
granted planning permission to build a Visitor Centre at The Grange.
The centre will generate income enabling us to train more hearing
dogs every year, and will be funded from a capital appeal specifically
launched for this investment. Hearing Dogs has not been open to the
public in a significant way since its inception. In order to attract new
support for the charity, and to demonstrate what we do and the
impact we have, we are going to open our doors and become a
destination for families, deaf communities, the local community and
visitors to the area. Our visitor centre will have sensitive acoustics
and BSL trained staff, and will include a shop, a restaurant and an
education centre, open to visitors with their dogs. It will transform the
way the site is entered and maximise its use, and it will enable us to
raise awareness of hearing loss and of the wonderful work that we
are all involved in.
Our Royal Patron HRH The Princess Royal will launch the project by
the unveiling of a foundation stone at an afternoon event in
mid-May, and we hope that the centre will be completed during the
summer of 2017 - our 35th anniversary year.
Please take a look at the
back cover and familiarise
yourself with our new focus
areas for puppy socialising.
If you have contacts, friends
or family in these areas—
please let us know!
3 Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
Volunteer spotlight Name: Paul & Christine Lowdon Role: Training from Home
What do you get up to? We provide a short-term home for hearing dogs that are in training while their full-time training from home volunteer is on holiday or in an emergency. We also help out when we can at local events to help promote and raise awareness about Hearing Dogs in the Tyne & Wear area. Why do you enjoy your role? This role really fits in with our lifestyle and we really love being a link in a very special ‘dog chain’. We feel really valued and proud that we can help other people and give something back. Are you looking after any dogs at the moment? Our current dog is a black Labrador called Una who is sponsored by Marks & Spencer. She’s a lovely calm, gentle and well behaved dog. She loves going to the nearby beach, having a fuss made of her, playing with her toys and of course her food! Do you have any other animals in your life? As well as Hearing Dogs, we also volunteer for another charity helping to rehabilitate rescued hedgehogs. We also keep hens and fish. Lots of different animals for our doggy-guests to meet!
We are currently looking for lots more dog-care volunteers in the Tyne & Wear area. If you, or you
know anyone who might be interested please get in touch!
Transport for London: Assistance Dogs
Campaign
Transport for London with the support of Assistance Dogs UK have
developed a new campaign to educate taxi and private hire drivers
on their important role in helping people with assistance dogs to
travel around London. Part of this campaign is this fantastic poster
which shows the seven types of assistance dogs that private hire
operators can expect to use their vehicles.
Did you know:
Taxi and private hire drivers can't refuse a passenger because
they have an assistance dog.
Passengers can't be charged more for a taxi or private hire
journey because they have an assistance dog.
Assistance dogs must be seated with their owners at all times.
It's illegal to refuse to carry a passenger with an assistance
dog. Drivers doing so could risk losing their licence or face a
fine.
If you would like to find out more about the campaign, or download
the above poster and other materials related to the campaign you
can go to the Transport for London website.
4 Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
Nominations are now open!
Awash with awards
This annual event celebrates our life-changing
hearing dogs and partnerships across the UK, as
well as recognising our amazing volunteers and
supporters.
We are really excited to announce some new
categories for this year and are looking forward to
hearing the stories of our inspirational hearing
dogs, friends, colleagues and champions you
nominate.
So if your life has been transformed by a hearing
dog, or you know someone who relies
whole-heartedly on their hearing dog for that
essential life-enhancing support, or if you and your
hearing dog have been made unusually welcome
by a business or shop, or maybe you know a
volunteer or someone in the community who has
gone that extra mile to tell people about the work of
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, then we’d love to
hear from you.
The awards categories are listed to the right and
the deadline for nominations is Sunday 10 July.
Read on to find out how to make your nominations.
Once these are all received, a panel of judges will
then have the difficult job of choosing a shortlist,
from which the winners will be announced at the
Hearing Dog Awards 2016.
Last year’s event was hosted by Hearing Dogs
celebrity ambassador Dame Esther Rantzen, with
awards presented by British actress Stephanie
Beecham and TV’s Ashleigh & Pudsey. This year’s
awards evening is set to be another star studded
occasion and more details will be revealed in due
course.
Tickets cost £125 for volunteers and recipients and
will go on sale shortly. The price will include a
drinks reception and three course dinner.
Email [email protected] to register
your interest.
The Hearing Dogs Awards
2016
And the categories are…
Desmond Wilcox Volunteer of the Year Award
For the Hearing Dogs volunteer who has shown
great dedication in his or her role within the Charity
and made a real difference.
Life-Changing Partnership Award
For partnerships where the hearing dog has
completely turned around the life of a recipient.
The Lifeline Award
For hearing dogs that are simply an inseparable
best friend or invaluable lifeline.
Community Champion Award
For someone who makes a big impact for Hearing
Dogs within their local community, whether a
recipient, speaker, fundraiser or maybe even a
member of staff.
The Open Doors Award
For a business or company that has gone the extra
mile to make a hearing dog partnership feel
welcome when using their service.
Young Partners Award
For hearing dogs that have completely changed
the lives of a child, bringing independence,
confidence, security and companionship.
This year’s inspirational Hearing Dogs Awards
2016 will take place on Thursday 10 November in
London and nominations are now open!
5 Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
January • Adam Wilson
Adam is sadly retiring as a
Hearing Dogs volunteer after
carrying out over 400 talks, all
but the first 33 with hearing dog
Baxter by his side.
“Adam & Baxter have really
done their bit for the Charity and
will be sorely missed.”
February • Phil & Jean Todd
As well as being fantastic Bed &
Breakfast volunteers and
speakers, Phil & Jean have been
instrumental in the organisation
of recent volunteer recruitment
drives at the Beatrice Wright
Centre.
“If there’s one word to sum up the Todds
then it’s ‘brilliant’!”
March • Simon & Ute Porter
Whilst both being full-time
workers, Simon & Ute have
found the time to make a big
impact as fundraisers, speakers,
puppy socialisers and more
recently fosterers. They are
always happy to help out
wherever and whenever they can.
“The Porters always remain cheerful, come
fully prepared and take any problems in their stride.
They are both model volunteers and are invaluable.”
April • Chris & Gill Hunt
Chris & Gill are stud dog holders
of Kody. They are a very
committed, selfless couple who
always take an active interest in
what’s going on in the Charity,
taking every opportunity to
promote Hearing Dogs!
“They go to an awful lot of effort
and nothing is ever too much
trouble. Kody is a credit to
them—they are both excellent
volunteers and accomplished
dog handlers.”
Volunteers of the month 2016 Make your nomination now!
You can complete your nomination online at
www.hearingdogs.org.uk/nominate or email
Veronica Pearce
Please ensure you include all the information
requested below, in your email.
Award category.
Your name and address.
Email address.
Telephone number – and please indicate
preferred method of contact: telephone
(voice), mobile (text), minicom or email.
Your nomination – the name of the person
you are nominating and their hearing dog if
appropriate.
Nomination story*: in no more than 200-250
words please tell us why you have nominated
this person, hearing dog or partnership for an
award.
* Please note: Finalists will be required to participate in
the filming of a short movie about their nomination story
and all nominations may be released to the media. All
finalists will be invited to attend the Awards ceremony
on Thursday 10 November.
Venus Award—Lisa Baldock
The Venus Awards were formed to
recognise and celebrate local women
in business. The award (also known as
the Working Woman’s Oscars), truly
represents the inspirational women who
“balance and juggle their lives relentlessly, who inject
their community with a
sense of feminine
robustness and solidarity
only a woman can provide.”
Hearing dog recipient and
volunteer, Lisa Baldock,
reached the semi-finalist
stage of the ‘Inspirational
Woman Award’ in the
Portsmouth region for all her
fantastic fundraising work.
Well done Lisa, we’re proud
of you!
Lisa with hearing dog Inca and
Hearing Dogs co-founder Bruce
Fogle
6 Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
Deaf Awareness What does ‘deafened’ mean?
In past issues of Volunteer News the deaf awareness section has talked
about communications with deaf people. In this edition, Jill Hipson, BSL
teacher and volunteer takes a look at a large group of deaf people; those
who have lost their hearing in adult life, but do not use sign language. This
group is generally referred to as ‘deafened’ and their experience of deafness
can be very different from those who were born deaf, or lost their hearing in
childhood.
Can you imagine having normal hearing all your life, being able to rely on
phone calls and everyday communication, and then suddenly that is taken
from you? The cause can be for a number of reasons but usually a result of
illness or injury. Simple things that were once taken for granted, like making
a telephone call, family get-togethers, work meetings, chatting to people in
the shops: they are no longer possible.
People who go deaf suddenly don’t automatically become able to lip-read.
This is a learnt skill, which takes time and can be difficult to acquire.
Learning sign language may seem obvious but most newly deaf people
don’t know anyone else who uses it, and also they really want their lives to
go on as they used to. Deafened people often still have normal speech,
which may make it hard for others to understand that they do not have
normal hearing.
Many Hearing Dog recipients have spoken about the traumatic and
unpleasant effect that sudden deafness has had on their lives.
John Barrowman experienced it when he became ‘Deaf for the Day’ and
found it so disorientating that he couldn’t even cross the road on his own. He
described the feeling of being left out by his own colleagues. He said he felt
invisible and excluded. He also described the feeling of total exhaustion
caused by having to concentrate so hard to understand people.
The number of deafened people compared to BSL users is large. There are
900,000 severely or profoundly deaf people in the UK. Included in this group
are 24,000 deaf people who use BSL as their first or main language.*
Deafened people aren’t generally a vocal group. Many report becoming very
isolated, not knowing what help is out there.
In my personal experience, I have never forgotten the solicitor who had lost
his hearing and was struggling at work; his boss was threatening him with
redundancy because he could no longer communicate with clients or talk to
them on the telephone. He and his wife turned up at my class in despair
because they didn’t know what to do and couldn’t find anything to help.
I explained about things like Text Relay, speech-to-text reporters, Access to
Work funding and rehabilitation courses for deafened people. I also told
them about cochlear implants and they felt much more empowered. Armed
with information about the Equality Act and Access to Work, the solicitor was
able to keep his job. They completed their Level 1 BSL. I did suggest a
Hearing Dog as well but he had two bulldogs so decided to leave that one
for the time being!
If you, or someone you know may need a hearing dog, you can
find out more about applying for one on our website.
* Source of statistics: AOHL 2014.
How should you describe a
deaf person?
Acceptable terminology:
Deaf/deaf (capital D refers to
the Deaf Community—those
born deaf to deaf parents and
who learnt British Sign
Language as a first language)
Hard of hearing
Deafened/Aquired Profound
Hearing Loss (APHL) - those
born hearing and who have
become severely or profoundly
deaf either suddenly or
gradually later in life.
Mild/Moderate/Severe/
Profound hearing loss.
Hearing impaired (this
depends on the individual—
some people may see this as
negative).
Unacceptable terminology
Deaf and dumb—use ‘deaf
without speech’ instead.
Deaf mute—as above.
The Deaf—use ‘deaf people’
instead, as this focusses on the
person not the disability.
7 Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
New group on Yammer: Retired Hearing Dogs Our newest (and possibly favourite) group on Yammer is ‘Retired
Hearing Dogs’ which celebrates our four-pawed elderly statesmen
and women, and wishes them all well-deserved and restful
retirements. We are loving some of the photos already going up of these gorgeous old-timers.
Teena has now settled into her
final home in Cornwall after
many years of service.
Sloe is one of our famous
‘Labrahuahua’s, now 15 and
retired, enjoying the sunshine!
Smiley hearing dog pup, Finn, went viral last
month! He was our most successful post on
Facebook ever with over 8,000 likes and a
reach of 160,000 people!
Well done Finn!
Social Media
The volunteering Twitter page has a new
name and new look! The latest face is
Bed & Breakfast and Office volunteer,
Angela Johnson, with puppy Nala.
If you already follow us, please note the
name change to @VolTeamHDogs.
Please follow us if you
don’t already and send us
your tweets, photos and
updates. We love seeing
them!
Gorgeous Goldie is retiring from her life as a Demo Dog this year. Here at her last
ever Crufts display with trainers, and mum Jo Otton, signing ‘Gold’!
Shaun celebrating his
14th birthday!
8 Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
Focus on Fundraising Who are the Community Fundraising Managers?
Our Community Fundraising Managers (CFMs) cover the whole of
the UK. They look after our wonderful Fundraising and Speaking
volunteers and fundraising activities within their allotted area.
Find out more about your Community Fundraising
Manager... Vicky Ryan (Area 1)
“I’ve been with the Charity for 5 years and my
favourite bit of my job really is working with
our fabulous volunteers and supporters! No
day is the same with this job and I love the
variety.”
Nicholas Orpin (Area 2)
“I’ve been with Hearing Dogs for 4 years now.
I like feeling part of a big volunteer driven
Charity. I love it when a new group that is
fundraising for us meets a volunteer or
recipient and then suddenly they ‘get’ what
Hearing Dogs is about.”
Not sure who to contact?
Find your local Community
Fundraising Manager below
Area 1: West Midlands
Vicky Ryan T 07824 329063
@VickyHearingDog
Area 2: South East England &
SW London
Nicholas Orpin T 07917 170122
@nicholasorpin2
Area 3: Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, South
Cambs, East & Central London
Rachel Clarke T 07769 901291
@RachHearingDogs
Area 4: North East England
Lucy Ward T 07769 901292
@LucyHearingDogs
Area 5: Scotland
Carol Jones T 07436 542544
@CarolHDogs
Area 7: North West England &
Northern Ireland
Rachel Hassey T 07769 901297
@RHhearingdogs
Area 10: Mid/South-West England &
South Wales
Vacancy
Area 8: Northern Home Counties &
NW London
Vacancy
Area 14: North Cambridgeshire
Gill Yeates* T 07824 453319
@GillYeates
*National Fundraising Manager—
Regional Team
Area 17: SE London & Kent
Vacancy
9 Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
The Hearing Dogs Sportive is back
for 2016!
After a successful debut event last year we are bringing
back our sportive on Sunday 3 July 2016 at The Grange.
We had some really lovely comments from the riders to
say how great all those representing Hearing Dogs were
so thank you to all who helped last year.
With preparation well under way, we are looking for
some fantastic volunteers to help out again this year.
We have three main areas to cover:
Pre-event - putting up signage along the routes on
the run up to the weekend (this is best done in
pairs).
On the day - At The Grange, marshalling along
the route and manning the feed stations.
Post-event - taking down signage (again best in
pairs).
Please send Melanie Tyrer an email if you are able to
help out - last year's event had a really lovely
atmosphere and we are hoping to continue this going
forward! E [email protected]
Thinking of taking part in the challenge yourself?
The routes start and finish at The Grange and we have
50, 80 and 100 mile distances which will take in the
beautiful scenery of the Chilterns and surrounding
countryside. For more information about taking part or
booking on to the sportive take a look at our website for
more information.
Other Dates for the diary at The Grange:
11 September Late Summer Show
10 November The Hearing Dogs Awards 2016
19-20 November Christmas Market
Rachel Clarke (Area 3)
“It’s been nearly 3 fantastic
years now! I couldn’t pick just
one thing I love about my
job—I love seeing first hand
what a difference a hearing
dog can make to someone’s
life, it can be very emotional!
I also absolutely love working
alongside our brilliant volunteers who help make
this possible.”
Lucy Ward (Area 4)
“I have been with Hearing Dogs
since 2010 and it’s amazing how
the time has flown! I love this job
as no two days are ever the
same. It’s always a challenge
and every day you meet
someone new or hear a story
about how our dogs have made
a difference and it just reminds
you why you do it.”
Carol Jones (Area 5)
“I’m still a newbie, starting this
year in January. So far I’ve
loved every minute of it.
Meeting the volunteers has
been great and they have blown
me away with their passion,
enthusiasm and commitment.”
Rachel Hassey (Area 7)
“I’ve been with Hearing Dogs for almost 2 years
now, and I love getting the opportunity to meet so
many wonderful volunteers and supporters—we
couldn’t do any of this without them!”
Rachel Hassey with Nicholas
Orpin at Crufts and Gill Yeates
with a cute poodle puppy.
10 Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
Tee-time!
Zoe, daughter of puppy socialiser,
Stacey Wagstaff, wanted to do
something a bit different to raise
some money for Hearing Dogs at
her school.
As well as our regular ’Design-a-
dog-coat’ competition, Zoe
organised a ’Design-a- t-shirt’
competition as she noticed there
aren't really any options of Hearing
Dogs t-shirts for children.
In total, Zoe raised £310 through
her school with competition entries,
a raffle and selling merchandise at
her school.
Time to dust off your running shoes…? Could you take on the mighty Great North Run,
the world's biggest half marathon in Newcastle
on 11 September 2016 for Hearing Dogs?
Yes! Fantastic then we have a number of
guaranteed charity places available so please
just contact us to secure yours today. And if
you already have your own place in the event
then you are still very welcome to join our
running team. Just get in touch!
Not a chance! Well how about finding us
someone who could?
The general ballot for this year’s Great North Run is now closed so it’s a
great time for us to be letting people know about our guaranteed charity
places! Anyone who would like a place and who would like the chance to
join the Hearing Dogs Team can now apply. We ask for a £53 registration
fee and a pledge to raise £300 in sponsorship.
Those who have gained their own place
can still enjoy all the benefits of being on
the Hearing Dogs Team including a
Supporter Pack, ongoing support and
well deserved refreshments and
professional sports massage once
across the finish line. All they need to do
is raise as much as they can in
sponsorship for Hearing Dogs.
Please spread the word about the available spaces and if you would like to
take on the challenge of running or know someone who might be
interested then please get in touch with Lucy Ward
T 07769 907292 E [email protected]
Leo is training for his own marathon!
Branch success in Cambridgeshire & East Hertfordshire
The Cambridge Branch were delighted to be accepted as Charity of
the Month for February by the Cambridge Building Society. Collection
boxes were distributed to local branches and at the Head Office, a
design-a-dog-coat competition was
organised and staff helped promote a
local Great British Dog Walk. Staff were
also given the opportunity to attend
a local puppy training class. A fantastic
total of £675 was raised!
A huge well done also goes out to the Harlow & East Herts fundraising
group whose fundraising reached more than £10,000 in 2015! Community
Fundraising Manager, Rachel Clarke says “This has not happened before,
it’s an amazing amount. The group is only small but very dedicated and
hardworking. They are truly marvellous and a pleasure to work with.”.
Dizzy helped judge!
The winner and runner
up of the t-shirt
competition.
11 Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
The Great British Dog Walk 2016
We have successfully walked our first walks! Thank you to all those
volunteers who’ve helped out or came along on the day with friends
and family.
Still to come:
7 May Fountains Abbey, Ripon, Yorkshire
Killerton House, Devon
14 May Minnowburn & Lagan Valley, Belfast
15 May Stowe, Buckinghamshire
22 May Ickworth Park, Suffolk
Foxbury Common, New Forest,
Hampshire
4 June Osterley Park & House, West London
5 June Hill of Tarvit, Fife
You can buy tickets online via the Hearing Dogs website. Tickets
are £10; children under 16 years and dogs walk free! Tickets are
available to buy on the day of the event for £12.
Staff changes in the Fundraising
Team
Sadly we are saying farewell to 3 of our
Community Fundraising Managers;
Fran Kenneally, Lisa Bishop and Jo
Godden.
Fran says “The moment that will stay
with me forever was meeting volunteer
Helen-France for a coffee after she
received her hearing dog Gus. We first
met 12 years ago at sign language
classes but lost touch so I was
delighted to reconnect through Hearing
Dogs. Helen-France is a very petite
lady but the day I met her with
wonderful Gus, I am sure she had
grown in stature! She was so confident
and happy to chat to interested
strangers about Gus. I remember my
tears of joy to see the transformation in
this lovely lady.”
“Gus knew more about Hearing Dogs
than I did, so I was a little
apprehensive to start off with, but it is
strange to say it was Gus who put me
at my ease, he was always watching
me, and made me smile, that ‘look’
seemed to say, don’t worry mum, I’ll
look after you and show you the ropes,
and he did.”
Lisa parts with a lovely message to her
volunteers: “I am sad to say that, after
three lovely years I am leaving Hearing
Dogs. It has been a total privilege
getting to know so many of you and
your support has been invaluable.
Many of you have become firm friends
and have shown unwavering kindness
towards me, even in the early days
when I was finding my feet in the role! It
has always amazed me that – whatever
the request – I would always get an
influx of offers of help; even for the truly
bizarre events!!
Hearing Dogs are very lucky to have
such a fantastic ‘army’ of volunteers
and, because I knew how much I would
miss you all, I have decided to stay as a
volunteer myself! Thank you for
everything you have done for me – I
absolutely could not have done this job
without you all. I may be working
elsewhere, but my heart will always be
with Hearing Dogs xx”
Walkers setting off at Sheffield Park.
Sophie Biebuyck
with hearing dog
Rusty.
Walkers prepare to set off at Croome Court
Sue Chuchyard with her
hearing dog Jas.
Janet West with her lovely little
hearing dog Echo.
12 Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
Speakers’ Corner
Keep saving those stamps... We have had a great start to 2016. This year has seen the start of
our specially made collection boxes for stamps. They are ideal to
place in the community, like a library or church; maybe even in the
reception area at your vets?
They are about 10 inches square and have information on them. If
you can think of somewhere one of these might work well, please
contact Jessica Grant in the Fundraising Department (details below).
We also have our postage paid envelopes that are more handy, so if
you haven’t already got one, or would like more, let Jessica know.
“All talks are different, I am fairly new
at it but have found that sometimes
being formal is not possible. I had one
the other week; when I was jumped on
as soon as went through the door so I
joked with the people in the care home,
said that they seemed like a group that
liked the informal approach and just l'd
let them ask me questions. Added the
formal ‘numbers bit’ (of the
presentation) in where it went a bit
quiet. Most of all be yourself and go
with the flow and enjoy, you have your
friend with you as support.”
Marina Spellman sharing a story with
a new speaker on Yammer
All we have to say is thank you. The number of talk form returns we
are now receiving has dramatically increased and we are feeling
positive about developing what we are able to provide volunteer
speakers. If you aren’t filling out forms or don’t know where to get
them please get in touch (details below). They really help us put
together a picture of who we are talking to and where, and helps us
greatly in other areas of Fundraising.
We would also like to extend a
thank you to the following
speakers who agreed to feature
in the latest edition of Favour
magazine to help us promote
speaking by sharing their own
stories and experiences; Sarah
Hennessy, Mike Coote, Malcolm
Pickett, Irene Rich and Tania
Leman.
For talk forms or any other queries about volunteer speaking you can
contact Jessica Grant E [email protected]
T 01844 348135.
Rapt audience with Robyn!
Brothers Bilbo, Basil and Bowie are so happy to be reunited!
Onyx enjoying the bluebells.
13 Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
G Litter a.k.a. The GIGANTIC litter 3 puppies (all massive from birth!)
Names: Gracie, Grant & Shadow
Mum: Lottie
Dad: Goldie
Breed: Labrador
Born: March
Breeding Scheme Updates
Tiggy (daughter of brood Pebbles and stud
Dale) and Aster (daughter of brood Lacey
and stud Dale) are our newest joiners as
hearing dog mums.
Darwen, black Labrador stud dog, has
moved to a new home where he is settling
in well with his new family.
Retiring broods include Nellie who has had
4 wonderful litters for the Charity (including
broods Beatrice and Kelsey and stud Kody)
with fosterer Donna Brown, who incidentally
also fostered her mum, Hannah.
Cora, a Working Cocker Spaniel brood, who
also had 4 litters of pups, 3 of which were L
litters, so fosterer Irene Rich had to dig
deep to find lots of great names beginning
with the letter L!
Would you like to foster a hearing dog
mum? If you’re local to The Grange, get in
touch with the Volunteering Team
to find out more!
H Litter 6 puppies
Names: Hamish, Harvey, Hester, Hope, Hettie &
Hebe
Mum: Lacey
Dad: Dale
Breed: Working X Show Cocker Spaniel
Born: March
F Litter 8 puppies
Names:
Fraser, Freya, Freddie, Fern, Floyd,
Fergus, Flo & Finn
Mum: Purdey
Dad: Kody
Breed: Show Cocker Spaniel
Born: January
Updates from around the charity
Breeding Scheme
New recruits, Spring 2016
E Litter 4 puppies
Names: Elmo,
Elvis, Elsa & Enzo
Mum: Pebbles
Dad: Dale
Breed: Show Cocker Spaniel
Born: December
14 Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
In other puppy news… Since the last Volunteer News we have brought in another 12 pups
from external breeders; 2 Labradors, 2 Working Cocker Spaniels and
8 Show Cocker Spaniels.
The 2 Working Cockers are absolutely gorgeous and are named
Luke and Leia (Skywalker, in celebration of the latest Star Wars film).
Claire Jones—Winner of the
Beatrice Wright Award 2016
The Beatrice
Wright Award is
our staff member
of the year award
named after the
Charity’s
co-founder.
Claire Jones is Interim Supply Team
Leader and Volunteer Co-ordinator for
the Breeding Scheme. Claire is always
upbeat and good humoured even
whilst taking on additional work and
mentoring two new team members.
She is much loved by our volunteers
who say she is the voice of calm
during what can be some long and
stressful whelps. Well done Claire!
Puppy Socialising We are excited to be introducing four new Puppy Training
Instructors to our Training team who will be working out in
new or existing but expanded puppy socialising satellite
areas around the country.
In the photo, left to right are:
Natalie Wroe—covering our expanded Yorkshire
region focussing in Harrogate.
“I am really excited to be working for Hearing Dogs and
being a part of the team. I was previously an Instructor at
Support Dogs and I am looking forward to taking on a
new challenge of working with puppies and socialisers in
the Harrogate area.”
Lucy Parkin—brand new puppy training area in Tyne & Wear covering Newcastle and Sunderland.
Lucy worked in education for 15 years whilst also being a dog trainer and behaviourist for her own company and
running a successful Dog Agility Club. “I am really excited to begin meeting all my new volunteers and their
puppies, who I will be training across the North East area. With my combined background of working for many
years in education and in dog training I will be able to bring a unique approach to creating some amazing dogs to
change the lives of those recipients of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People."
Ruth Turner—expanded Cheshire region, from Knutsford to Northwich down to Sandbach and Leek.
“I previously worked as a Dog Warden for 4 years, handling stray dogs and educating members of the public about
responsible dog ownership. I also used to teach puppy and obedience classes, agility classes and rally for a very
successful dog training club in Sandbach. I'm really excited to work with new volunteers and increase the number of
puppies that are being trained up to become Hearing Dogs. I can't wait to meet some fabulous people and the cute
puppies that they will be socialising.”
Gemma Currie—will be taking over from Joanne Ellam (who will now be covering Bedfordshire and West
Hertfordshire) and covering Cambridge down to Bishop’s Stortford.
15 Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
Training at the Beatrice Wright Centre
Quality Assurance
The Quality Assurance Team’s main
responsibility is to appraise each
hearing dog at various stages
throughout their journey.
Each appraisal is completed using a
carefully designed scoring system.
Recently the assessments have had
some name changes in the hope they
will be easier to understand both inside
and outside the Charity:
8 week Puppy Test, now, The 8 Week Puppy Appraisal
This is our newest test and the aim is to pass on any additional information
to the training teams which can help create each individual dog’s
development plan. Puppies are tested in a specially designed puppy testing
room where they are given a chance to explore and complete 10 separate
tests. This is designed to help predict a dog’s behaviour long-term.
The Character Assessment, now, The 8 Month Character Appraisal
We next meet our dogs at 8 months of age with their full-time puppy
socialiser. The dog is taken for a park and town visit and time is spent with
them on site with and without their socialiser. This can highlight good areas
and also areas for improvement. This appraisal is also used as a point to
make decisions on any dogs that may be selected for our breeding scheme.
The Foundation Assessment, now, The Hearing Dog Accreditation
The primary role of quality assessors is making sure each dog is at the right
standard before being placed with their deaf recipient. Dogs are assessed
once they reach their advanced training phase. Once a hearing dog has
qualified from their Hearing Dog Accreditation they are ready to go out as a
working hearing dog!
We also welcome some new members of the Training
Team at Bielby this year.
Willow Greenwood
“I worked for over 2 years at Dogs Trust. During my time
it was hard not to take them all home so before leaving I
adopted a 2 year old working cocker with bags of
energy. Previous to this I completed a degree in Animal
Behaviour and Training, alongside which I started
volunteering at Hearing Dogs and quickly fell in love with
the charity its amazing
work.
Outside of work I love
being outdoors including
swimming in the odd
lake. My first dog in
training is Finley a
chocolate Cocker
Spaniel and he is doing
his best to keep me on
my toes.”
Emily Marginson
“Before my new career at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People
I worked in nutrition at an animal feed company, as well
as running my own dog training and behaviour business.
I have a pet dog called Izzy who is a Collie cross, and
when we find the time we love competing in agility and
flyball.
Working as a Dog Trainer for this amazing charity is a
dream come true and I am enjoying every minute!”
Hannah Plant and Jenny Palser
from the ‘QA’ Team
Dog Walking at The Grange
We introduce our new On-site Dog
Walking Volunteer Co-ordinator Ailish
Dudley. Ailish has been with Hearing
Dogs for just over a year as a Dog
Welfare Officer.
“I am very excited about my new
additional role. I look forward to get
into the role and support the
volunteers and the recent changes my
colleague put into place before she
left the role. These changes allow the
dog walkers more freedom in their
role. My colleagues in kennels
appreciate greatly the help we receive
from our volunteers and enjoy seeing
them every week for a chat and a dog
walk!”
Ailish with hearing dog in training, Watson
Emily is pictured with Izzy and Border Terrier friend, Leo.
16 Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
Off to work - Class of 2015/2016 Congratulations to all of our hard working and clever pups that have been placed with recipients, into an
alternative career or selected for the breeding scheme from 1 April 2015– 31 March 2016.
We wouldn’t be able to place any of these life-changing dogs without your help so a huge thank you to every
single one of our volunteers!
Dog name Breed Role Month placed Location
Ace Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog February Hertfordshire
Addi Labrador Hearing Dog November South Yorkshire
Aero Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog August West Sussex
Albert Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog November South Yorkshire
Alvin Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog May Cambridgeshire
Amy Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog March Kent
Angus Miniature Poodle Hearing Dog September Essex
Anya Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Child’s Hearing Dog October Surrey
Arthur Miniature Poodle Hearing Dog April Kent
Arthur Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog August Cleveland
Babs (Nadia) Labrador X Golden Retriever Hearing Dog July Dorset
Barley Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog June Renfrewshire
Bella Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog February Norfolk
Bella (Nina) Labrador X Golden Retriever Dual Dog— Guide Dog October North Yorkshire
Berry Cocker Spaniel X Poodle Hearing Dog January Hertfordshire
Bertie Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog July East Sussex
Bobby Miniature Poodle Hearing Dog June Leicestershire
Bonnie Miniature Poodle Hearing Dog March West Yorkshire
Caine Labrador Hearing Dog December Northamptonshire
Casper Labrador Child’s Hearing Dog July County Durham
Cazzie Labrador Hearing Dog May Somerset
Chester Labrador Hearing Dog July Middlesex
Chips Cocker Spaniel X Poodle Hearing Dog February Kent
Cleo Labrador Dual Dog—Canine
Partners
March West Yorkshire
Codie Labrador X Golden Retreiver Dual Dog—Guide Dog October Essex
Cookie Cocker Spaniel X Poodle Hearing Dog March Gloucestershire
Danny Working Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog December Buckinghamshire
Dillon Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog February Gloucestershire
Codie
Sweep
17 Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
Dog name Breed Role Month placed Location
Dolly Labrador Child’s Hearing Dog August Lincolnshire
Dory Labrador Hearing Dog March Northamptonshire
Echo Labrador Child’s Hearing Dog September Buckinghamshire
Edna Labrador Hearing Dog May County Antrim
Elder Labrador Hearing Dog September Devon
Eli Labrador Hearing Dog July Derbyshire
Ellis Labrador Hearing Dog August Surrey
Elton Labrador Hearing Dog August Suffolk
Enzo Labrador Dual Dog—Canine
Partners
October Surrey
Ernie Labrador Hearing Dog June Northumberland
Ethan Labrador Hearing Dog October Aberdeenshire
Fergus Labrador Hearing Dog July Devon
Fern Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog August Oxfordshire
Fidget Labrador Hearing Dog June Wiltshire
Finn Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog May Suffolk
Flash Labrador Hearing Dog July Guernsey
Forest Labrador Hearing Dog September Cumbria
Fudge Labrador Hearing Dog October Hertfordshire
George Labrador Hearing Dog January Derbyshire
Ghillie Working Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog March Lanarkshire
Ginny Labrador Hearing Dog February Merseyside
Gretel Working Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog March Cheshire
Gus Labrador Hearing Dog August Somerset
Guy Labrador Hearing Dog September Hampshire
Harley Labrador Hearing Dog February East Sussex
Harris Golden Retriever Child’s Hearing Dog February London
Harvey Labrador Hearing Dog November London
Ike Labrador Dual Dog—Guide Dog August London
Iker Labrador Hearing Dog July Somerset
Irving Labrador Hearing Dog October West Midlands
Ivan Labrador Hearing Dog March Hampshire
Jasper Miniature Poodle Hearing Dog March Kent
Gus
Paddington
18 Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
Dog name Breed Role Month placed Location
Jellie Miniature Poodle Hearing Dog August Bedfordshire
Jessie Miniature Poodle Hearing Dog January Cheshire
Jessie Miniature Poodle Hearing Dog January London
Joanie Miniature Poodle Hearing Dog March North Yorkshire
Joey Miniature Poodle Hearing Dog March North Yorkshire
Jumble Labrador Dual Dog—Guide Dog February Angus
Kazo Toy Poodle Hearing Dog January Cambridgeshire
Kimba Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog May Highland
Kitty Labrador Hearing Dog January Tyne & Wear
Kristo Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog November County Antrim
Lenny Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog September Kent
Lily Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog April Cheshire
Lily Show Cocker Spaniel (black) Hearing Dog March Devon
Linus Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog March Kent
Loki Working Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog December East Sussex
Mac Working Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog June Staffordshire
Marshall Labrador Hearing Dog January Kent
Mia Working Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog July Lancashire
Mia Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog December West Yorkshire
Mini Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog October Angus
Minnie Labrador Hearing Dog March West Midlands
Monty Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog June Tyne & Wear
Monty Miniature Poodle Hearing Dog January Derbyshire
Nemo Miniature Poodle Hearing Dog March Warwickshire
Nevis Miniature Poodle Hearing Dog March Perth & Kinross
Nina Working Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog March Buckinghamshire
Nova (Nora) Miniature Poodle Hearing Dog March East Sussex
Odie Miniature Poodle Hearing Dog March Tyne & Wear
Ollie Miniature Poodle Hearing Dog February Devon
Oxo Miniature Poodle Hearing Dog March Surrey
Paddington Miniature Poodle Hearing Dog July Norfolk
Peaches Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog October Essex
Penny Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog August Buckinghamshire
Pepper Working Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog March Dorset
Nina
Rodney
19 Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
Dog name Breed Role Month placed Location
Percy Miniature Poodle Hearing Dog July East Sussex
Percy Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog November North Yorkshire
Quinn Miniature Poodle Hearing Dog May Northumberland
Reba Cocker Spaniel X Poodle Hearing Dog October Nottinghamshire
Riley Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog February Leicestershire
Ringo Working Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog March Shropshire
Rodney Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Child’s Hearing Dog October Kent
Rufus Cocker Spaniel X Poodle Hearing Dog September Somerset
Sam Miniarture Poodle Hearing Dog September Leicestershire
Scooby Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog June West Yorkshire
Scout Cocker Spaniel X Poodle Hearing Dog February Kent
Simba Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog February Glamorgan
Sookie Cocker Spaniel X Poodle Hearing Dog January Cornwall
Sooty Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog September Lanarkshire
Sweep Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog September Suffolk
Tandy Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog November Hertfordshire
Tapper Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog June Avon
Tara Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog April East Sussex
Tilly Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog February Great Manchester
Tilly Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog March Hertfordshire
Varley Labrador Hearing Dog February Suffolk
Vectra Labrador Hearing Dog January West Midlands
Velvet Labrador Hearing Dog March Hampshire
Verity Golden Retriever Dual Dog—Guide Dog January Cleveland
Viking Labrador Hearing Dog March Shropshire
Vimmie Labrador Hearing Dog March Country Durham
Vulcan Labrador Hearing Dog March Merseyside
Walter Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Hearing Dog February Greater London
Woody Cocker Spaniel X Poodle Hearing Dog September Essex
Xander Miniature Poodle Hearing Dog May West Yorkshire
Yoshi Labrador X Golden Retriever Hearing Dog January South Lanarkshire
Tilly Jumble
20 Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
Dog name Breed Role Location
Archer Working Cocker Spaniel Sound Support Dog Staffordshire
Archie Labrador Confidence & Companion Dog Lincolnshire
Beau Working Cocker Spaniel Confidence & Companion Dog Staffordshire
Beni Miniature Poodle Confidence & Companion Dog Buckinghamshire
Cherry Miniature Poodle Confidence & Companion Dog London
Cookie Labrador Confidence & Companion Dog Wiltshire
Dusky Working Cocker Spaniel Confidence & Companion Dog Buckinghamshire
Elsa Working Cocker Spaniel Confidence & Companion Dog Hampshire
Jake Working Cocker Spaniel Confidence & Companion Dog Buckinghamshire
Jay Working Cocker Spaniel Sound Support Dog Northamptonshire
Levi Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Confidence & Companion Dog Buckinghamshire
Lewis Working Cocker Spaniel Animal Assisted Activity Buckinghamshire
Lupo Show Cocker Spaniel Confidence & Companion Dog Tyne & Wear
Mary Show Cocker Spaniel Confidence & Companion Dog Berkshire
Nala Working Cocker Spaniel Sound Support Dog Surrey
Nixie Toy Poodle X Yorkshire Terrier Confidence & Companion Dog Surrey
Alternative Career Dogs
Oakley Cocker Spaniel X Poodle Confidence & Companion Dog Hampshire
Pip Cairn X Yorkshire Terrier Confidence & Companion Dog London
Pippin Miniature Poodle Confidence & Companion Dog London
Rocko Miniature Poodle Sound Support Dog Hampshire
Ted Working Cocker Spaniel Confidence & Companion Dog Buckinghamshire
Tim Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Animal Assisted Activity Hertfordshire
Toby Show Cocker Spaniel Animal Assisted Activity West Yorkshire
Twix Show Cocker Spaniel Animal Assisted Activity North Yorkshire
Vegas Working Cocker Spaniel Confidence & Companion Dog West Yorkshire
Vena Show Cocker Spaniel Confidence & Companion Dog Aberdeenshire
Winnie Cocker Spaniel X Poodle Confidence & Companion Dog Berkshire
Zeta Miniature Poodle Confidence & Companion Dog East Riding of Yorkshire
Zeus Labrador Confidence & Companion Dog Vale of Glamorgan
Ziggy Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Confidence & Companion Dog Buckinghamshire
Rocko
Ted
21 Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
Dog name Breed Role
Aster Working X Show Cocker Spaniel Brood
Daisy Show Cocker Spaniel Brood
Evie Show Cocker Spaniel Brood
Goldie Labrador Stud
Purdey Show Cocker Spaniel Brood
Sadie Labrador Brood
Tiggy Show Cocker Spaniel Brood
Venus Labrador Brood
Vicky Labrador Brood
At Hearing Dogs we help every pup reach its potential. We assess the puppies as they develop, to find the
best role for them. Some of our dogs may not be suited to becoming an ADI (Assistance Dogs
International) accredited Hearing Dog, however we do have several other roles that may suit them better
and still help support a deaf person. These roles are: Sound Support Dogs and Confidence & Companion
Dogs.
Sound Support Dogs
Some of our dogs do not have quite enough confidence required for the busy and complex environments
that dogs with access rights may encounter, but their soundwork is good. These dogs are offered as a
sound support dog to deaf people who may have fallen short of our audiology criteria for a fully jacketed
dog, but have moderate or deteriorating hearing and can benefit from the help of a dog alerting them to
sounds in the home.
Confidence & Companion Dogs
A few of our dogs grow up to be accomplished but a little too shy for the proactive soundworking role.
These dogs are offered in a confidence and companion role to deaf or hard of hearing people. The
recipient may not need a dog who is skilled at alerting to sounds, but a well-trained dog can bring them
substantial confidence and peace of mind.
Another role that makes a difference that some of our dogs go into is as an ‘Animal Assisted Therapy
Dog’. Studies have found strong links between companionship with dogs and increased self-esteem,
helping with grief and reducing stress. Occasionally some of our dogs are placed into this role.
New brood & stud dogs of 2015/2016
Another supremely important role! Some pups that display certain physical and behavioural characteristics
are selected to become the mums and dads of future generations of hearing dogs when fully grown. Here
are the chosen few from 1 April 2015—31 March 2016:
You can find out more about our dog roles and what they mean in the attachment which is downloadable
from the Volunteer News landing page on our website.
Daisy with her
first litter
Sisters Vicky & Venus
Pups from new stud
Goldie’s first litter
22 Volunteer News • Spring 2016 Make lots of life changing friends
We need more volunteers! We are always looking for new people to join our volunteer family, all of our available volunteer
roles are listed on our website.
W www.hearingdogs.org.uk/volunteer E [email protected] T 01844 348129
Do you know anyone who lives in these areas? We are looking for puppy socialisers across the UK. If you know anyone in and around the locations
mentioned below, that has a suitable home with a private, secure garden as well as time to dedicate to
training a puppy on a daily basis then we would love to hear from them!
Edinburgh
Central Edinburgh
Tyne & Wear
Blyth, Newcastle, Sunderland
Yorkshire
Harrogate, Wetherby,
Knaresborough, York, Beverley
Cambridgeshire
Cambridge, St Neots,
Huntingdon, Peterborough
Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire
Bedford, Hitchin, St Albans, Saffron
Walden, Bishop’s Stortford
Buckinghamshire & Berkshire
Reading, High Wycombe,
Aylesbury, Milton Keynes
Hampshire
Southampton, Fareham
Cheshire & South Manchester
Stockport, Warrington,
Macclesfield, Knutsford, Congleton,
Devon
Taunton, Exeter, Newton Abbot We are also looking for volunteers who live within 45
minutes of The Grange to become Brood Bitch holders and
volunteers who are very local to one of our two training
centres to become Training From Home volunteers.
Please get in touch to find out more!
