Zurich helps local canine partnership - Cheltenham man and his Canine Partner receive corporate support
March 2007, West Sussex: Canine Partners (Registered Charity No. 803680), a charity specialising in providing highly trained assistance dogs to people with disabilities, is today praising the ongoing support of the Zurich Community Trust. Funding from Zurich has helped William French from Cheltenham, who has osteoporosis and is a wheelchair user, to gain back much of his independence thanks to his Canine Partner Zeus.
William was diagnosed with osteoporosis when he was just 47, which resulted in him losing his job as a bus driver and becoming very introverted. A chance trip to Crufts provided the glimmer of hope both William and his family needed.
“After meeting the Canine Partners team and seeing their dogs in action at Crufts, I immediately applied for an assistance dog,” comments William. “I graduated with Zeus on my 57th birthday last summer and he is my absolute lifeline. Zeus opens doors for me, takes off my socks, puts laundry in the washing machine, and a whole host of other everyday tasks that are vital to me. This stops me being so reliant on my wife and two daughters, which has made me feel independent again and boosted my self-confidence no end.”
The Zurich Community Trust has been supporting Canine Partners for almost 7 years. The £245,000 spent over that time has gone towards the following worthwhile activity:
- Dog training
- Senior Trainer salaries
- After care support
- Staff training
- New charity DVD
- Re-development of charity website
Karen O’Donoghue of Canine Partners reflects on the relationship, “The support we have received from Zurich has significantly aided us in training more dogs to help people with disabilities in everyday tasks such as picking up dropped items, shopping and crossing the road. However, it goes above and beyond just funding as we have forged a strong ongoing relationship with Zurich’s Community Trust through staff volunteering such as painting and decorating, gardening and stewarding of events; through to assistance for the charity in the sharing of business skills.”
Steve Grimmett, Senior Programme Manager of the Zurich Community Trust comments, “Supporting charity’s such as Canine Partners reinforces our corporate aim of helping the community. Our staff have developed a real affinity with Canine Partners over the past 7 years and are constantly amazed at the change a Canine Partner can bring to the life of a person with disabilities.”
