Buckinghamshire-based charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People hosted their Royal Patron on Monday 16 May 2016 for a very special event. HRH The Princess Royal visited the charity’s Training Centre in Saunderton, near Princes Risborough, for an afternoon of puppy-training demonstrations and to meet people who have had their lives transformed through the charity’s work.
The purpose of the afternoon was for the charity’s Royal Patron to launch a capital appeal to fund the charity’s new Welcome Centre. The new centre, which has been granted planning permission, has been designed specifically with the needs of deaf children and adults in mind, but also as a welcoming place for dog lovers and local residents and visitors to enjoy a meal with friends, a safe walk in the beautiful grounds, and to learn about the charity at the same time.
Michele Jennings, Chief Executive said:
“We were thrilled to welcome HRH The Princess Royal to our Buckinghamshire Training Centre, where she saw some of our delightful Hearing Dog puppies in training, and met several deaf people whose lives have been transformed by the charity through being matched with a clever, loveable Hearing Dog.
“HRH The Princess Royal also launched our Appeal to raise funds to build a new Welcome Centre at our beautiful Saunderton site in the Chilterns. This new centre has been designed to meet the needs of deaf and disabled people and to be particularly welcoming to dog lovers and the local communities, all within a building that will be sympathetic to the beautiful Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty we are so fortunate to be based in.
“It was a special day for all involved, and I’d like to thank the many volunteers, guests and donors who attended, as well as our celebrity supporters Pam St Clement and Tim Vincent, who generously give their time to the charity.”
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is a Buckinghamshire-based Charity that trains clever dogs to alert deaf people to important sounds such as the doorbell, telephone and fire alarm. The Charity is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2017 and has already trained over 2,240 accredited Hearing Dogs to transform the lives of deaf children and adults across the UK.
For more information on the appeal, please e-mail fundraising@hearingdogs.org.uk