Deaf man and his dog walk 100 miles and raise £5k for charity
A DEAF man and his four-legged best friend have managed to raise thousands to pay for more dogs to be trained to help other deaf people.
Richard Carr and his hearing dog Cameron have walked more than 100 miles together to raise vital funds and awareness for the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People charity.
The duo, from Cheadle Hulme, completed 10 dog walks in just four months last year and have already completed a further three this year.
They are also planning to walk across Morecambe Bay in the summer and have been out across Cheshire to further boost their funds.
Richard, 50, said: “I decided to take on this challenge because I am so grateful for my hearing dog, Cameron.
“He has given me so much confidence when out in public.
“He has also made my deafness visible to the general public, so people are more considerate.
“I wanted to help raise vital funds for the charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People so that more deaf people can receive the support and companionship I have got from my best friend.
“I knew it would be a huge challenge, but one that would raise vital funds and awareness for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.
“We are thrilled with the funds we raised last year and just could not have done it without the help of the support of Cheshire locals and businesses. We are so grateful for their continued support.”
Their efforts managed to raise more than £5,300 which will help train more young dogs.
Their fundraising also recently earned the pair a trip to Windsor Castle to join in the Queen’s birthday celebrations.
They were nominated for the tickets by their local Cheadle Hulme Waitrose branch.
Sarah Frost, of Waitrose said: “‘They have been coming to Cheadle Hulme branch regularly and they have become our celebrity shoppers.
“Cameron is such an amazing dog and his good nature and keenness to meet everyone means that he is spreading the word about the job both he and other hearing dogs do in transforming the lives of deaf adults and children.
“When Richard tells us about the work they are doing to raise awareness, we are truly touched.
“When the branch was informed about the Queen’s celebrations and an opportunity to nominate, we immediately thought of Richard and Cameron. They truly deserve to be recognised for what they do and this was our way of saying thank you.”
Richard added: “Windsor Castle was brilliant. I have worked really hard over the past year to raise funds for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. Part of this has been raising awareness in my local Waitrose. It was such a privilege that they chose Cameron and I to be nominated for tickets to this once in a lifetime event.”