David Wilson Homes has announced a £50k partnership with assistance dog charity, Canine Partners. The funds will be used to support the charity’s work transforming the lives of people with disabilities by partnering them with assistance dogs.
Canine Partners, who have centres in West Sussex and Leicestershire, are currently building new kennels at their second training centre in Osgathorpe, and hope to match over 70 dogs with disabled people this year. As David Wilson Homes also has its head office registered in Leicestershire, the company saw this as the perfect opportunity to support the charity.
Staff at the local David Wilson Homes divisional office in the East Midlands are also planning to transform the landscape around the residential accommodation block at the Centre, which has remained untouched since the building was completed and is looking neglected.
The developer has donated £50,000 to Canine Partners to pay for the training and support of Wellington the puppy and to support the kennel build. The name was chosen as it refers to the Golden Retriever featured in the David Wilson Homes logo.
Richard Brooke, Regional Managing Director at David Wilson Homes East Region, said: “We are thrilled to be able to support Canine Partners with our donation and are already enjoying hearing the progress our puppy, Wellington, is making.
“This well-deserving charity works tirelessly to provide disabled people with more independence and a better quality of life by giving them an assistance dog, and we are proud to be getting behind such a worthy cause.
“We want to lead the industry not just in the quality of the homes and developments we build, but also in our work with charities and good causes throughout the UK.”
Training a canine partners’ assistance dog takes around 20-24 months from puppy to partnership. These clever dogs learn to carry out day-to-day household tasks, such as unloading a washing machine, and ensure the safety of their owner. They also provide significant social and psychological benefits to their owners.
Nicola Martin, the Chief Executive from Canine Partners, said: “We are so excited to be working in partnership with David Wilson Homes. Apart from their fabulous donation, we really appreciate the skills and expertise they bring in construction and landscaping. This will help us transform the unattractive area around our accommodation block into a more inspiring area with wildflowers.
“We receive no government funding and rely solely on the generous donations from companies like David Wilson Homes, members of the public and legacies to help us continue our life-transforming work.”
More information on David Wilson Homes and Canine Partners
For more information on where David Wilson Homes is building across Leicestershire, visit www.dwh.co.uk or call the sales team on 033 3355 8483. For more information about Canine Partners see www.caninepartners.org.uk
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