Guide dog volunteer lifts award
A volunteer from Auchterarder has been given an award for her services to the charity Guide Dogs.
Lesley Venters was presented with the ‘passionate and determined’gong at the Guide Dogs Local Volunteer Awards, held in Forfar recently.
Community fundraiser Andrea Williams said: “Lesley has been a branch organiser for several years and has also taken on the role of treasurer and trading secretary.
“If that wasn’t enough, Lesley raises awareness of Guide Dogs at local groups and schools by going along to speak, and she has recently started raising guide dog puppies for their first year.
“Lesley is always enthusiastic and is great at coming up with new ideas to develop the branch and raise more funds. She is a pleasure to work with and I don’t know where we would be without her.”
Speaking after her win, Lesley said:“I was very surprised and delighted to receive this award. I enjoy puppy raising and fundraising for Guide Dogs and I am delighted to be able to continue the good work of the Auchterarder Branch which has a long history.
“I’d like to acknowledge the help and support from many people in the local community, particularly Betty Murchie, Margaret Faichney, John Morgan and Dorothy Gibb, as well as all of the local businesses for their donations.”
The charity is calling on more people in the area to get involved.
Andrea continued:“If anyone has a little time to spare and is interested in becoming a volunteer for the Auchterarder branch, we would love to hear from them.
“We are also keen to hear from anyone who could display a small Guide Dogs collection box within their business to help us raise funds locally.”
To contact Andrea Williams, please call Guide Dogs on 0345 143 0203 or email andrea.williams@ guidedogs.org.uk.
Lesley Venters (left) was presented with the passionate and determined award at the Guide Dogs Local Volunteer Awards