The

Fleet & District Branch

Would you like to devote a little of your time to helping what you consider to be a deserving charity? If your answer to both of these questions is yes, we suggest that you seriously consider becoming a member of your local branch of the G.D.B.A Anyone who has seen a guide dog working with its blind owner cannot fail to appreciate how it adds immeasurably to the owner's quality of life. A few words with the blind person probably would greatly increase your interest in the training and work of a guide dog. Like all charities, the G.D.B.A needs a steady income to continue its work. It has to plan to  provide guide dogs for the blind for the foreseeable future - imagine having to tell a blind person that the G.D.B.A would be unable to replace the present guide dog when it was unable to work or if it died!! It is not widely known but the G.D.B.A. also works in a number of other ways to assist the blind. The local branches of the G.D.B.A. consist entirely of voluntary members and engage only in fund-raising, and all the money they raise is applied directly to the provision of guide dogs. They play no part in the actual training of guide dogs, although quite often they number puppy walkers among their members. The method of this fund raising is left entirely to the branches, although they get excellent support and assistance from the Training Centre for their area. Your branch in Fleet sets up stalls in local fetes and fairs and at other locations to sell trading goods, hold tombolas, seeks participants for sponsored events etc. We have held garden parties and cheese & wine parties. This year, on Wednesday 30 March we are combining our very informal A.G.M. with a coffee and cake morning. A very important event is the Annual Guide Dogs Week in October - in 2010 we collected around £1,600 in Fleet and District. Like many other charities, we are always seeking new members. Membership does not entail a regular commitment: we would be glad of your occasional help at a trading stall or collecting on a collection day. We think you would find it interesting meeting people from all walks of life, including guide dog owners and puppy walkers, and undoubtedly would find it rewarding. To use the modern idiom, why not give it a whirl?!!