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Every day, 250 people in the UK start to lose their sight. And, with the number of people living with sight loss in the UK predicted to double by 2050, the need for Guide Dogs’ services is growing.
Guide dogs are life-changing for people with sight loss – providing security, companionship, and, often, a newfound sense of freedom. However, with money needed to raise, train, and care for dogs, charities like Guide Dogs rely on donations to continue their incredible work.
Nearly two out of three guide dog partnerships are only made possible thanks to gifts in Wills. No matter how big or small a donation, leaving a gift to Guide Dogs in your Will can help provide the guide dogs of the future.
With this in mind, we spoke to Emma about how her partnership with guide dog Archie has transformed her life, and Helen, about why she’s decided to leave a gift to Guide Dogs in her Will.
Emma’s experience with sight loss
At age six, Emma was diagnosed with cone rod dystrophy, a genetic condition that causes progressive vision loss. She explains, “I was wearing glasses throughout school, and I thought they’d correct my vision like everyone else. I didn’t understand why I was still struggling to see the whiteboard or lines on paper. I thought I just wasn’t trying hard enough.
“It wasn’t until my late teens that a doctor explained to me that my sight couldn’t be corrected, and that it was slowly getting worse. They told me that I’d eventually go blind, which was really scary.
“I thought that because I was going blind, I wouldn’t be able to work or do the things I loved. I remember stumbling across Pilates and thinking, this is something I’d love to do. I spoke to my family and it all finally just clicked – I developed this mindset that if you believe you can do something, you can do it! Just because you have a disability, that shouldn’t hold you back. Thanks to the support of my family, I’m now a qualified Pilates instructor!”
When Emma began teaching Pilates classes, she initially relied on a white cane and her remaining vision. But, she explains that, over time, things became trickier.
She says, “Using a white cane does give you independence, but it’s also hard work. I was getting headaches and wrist pain and I just remember thinking, my Pilates business is growing but I’m getting really tired from all the travel, so maybe a guide dog would be the next step.”
"Archie is much more than a guide dog to me. He’s my eyes, my left arm, he’s my best friend. He has absolutely changed my life.”
After applying to Guide Dogs, Emma was paired with guide dog Archie in 2021 – a partnership which, she explains, has changed her life.
Emma says, “When I applied to Guide Dogs, I hoped that a guide dog would bring me confidence to weave in and out of London crowds a bit easier. And, having grown up with dogs, I thought it’d be cool to have a dog with you 24/7.
“But developing a bond with your guide dog is just the most amazing thing. Walking with Archie now, I feel like I’m flying. My confidence has grown massively, for example, I can walk to the shops on my own – something I wouldn’t have done before. When we travel into busy London, Archie weaves me through the crowds, finds the door for me, and takes me to the steps. Every single day, he just amazes me with how smart and clever he is.
“When I was teaching my Pilates classes before, I’d be a bit worried about tripping over someone’s mat. But now I just stroll in, and everyone loves Archie. I used to feel like I was seen as this poor blind girl, but now everyone wants to have a class with the Pilates instructor with the lovely dog!”
“When he’s off duty at home, he’s so loving and enjoys his playtime and cuddles. Archie is much more than a guide dog to me. The bond we have is so strong. He’s my eyes, my left arm, he’s my best friend. Archie has absolutely changed my life.”
“I saw how much confidence these dogs gave people”
Helen, from the Midlands, first started working with people with sight loss when she was 17 at a local college for people with sight loss, before becoming a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter.
Explaining the difference she’s seen guide dogs make in people’s lives, Helen says, “My first memory as a young girl is of the classic Guide Dogs collection box at our local shops – my mum used to give me change to pop into the dog’s head! Only a few years later, my mum used to take me to the sensory garden close to where we lived.
“I saw people there with their guide dogs enjoying the garden, seeing how the sense of touch and smell brought such joy to them. It was so peaceful and the garden smelt so heavenly – it was just a really happy time.
“I remember thinking how incredibly clever guide dogs were, how patient they were, and how capable they were of guiding people around. I remember thinking those dogs were just absolutely marvellous.
“Then, through working with people of varying degrees of disabilities and degrees of sight loss, I came to realise just how important guide dogs are. I saw how much confidence these dogs gave people. People who, before, weren’t happy about going outdoors or doing things for themselves.
“A lot of people, you think, can’t do that because they’re blind. But actually, they can do so many things, and they can do so many more things when they’ve got the guide dog. There’s absolutely no reason why blind people can’t do anything a sighted person can do. We’re blessed if we’ve got all of our senses, but if you haven’t got one of the senses, it’s possible to work around it.”
“Without people supporting Guide Dogs, I don’t know where I’d be”
Having seen the difference guide dogs can make, Helen decided to leave a gift in her Will. She says, “It just seemed a natural progression of my life to leave a gift in my Will to Guide Dogs. From my experiences as a child to then working with people with various disabilities, that little spark of interest had ignited into something much more meaningful.
“I hope my gift contributes to somebody who maybe hasn’t felt they can leave their house for a considerable amount of time, and is now encouraged to get out there and enjoy the world and enjoy the freedom that a dog will give them. I hope it changes their life.”
For Emma and guide dog Archie, this is exactly what’s happened. Being so aware of all the people who helped to make Archie the wonderful guide dog he is today, Emma is keen to express her thanks. She says, “Archie didn’t just come like this; he’s an amazing guide dog because of all the people who helped train him right from being a puppy. From his puppy raisers and fosterers to his trainers and all the people who support Guide Dogs. I am so grateful to all of them.”
“When I qualified with Archie, I immediately knew I wanted to get in touch with all the people who were part of his journey. It was really important to me to be able to say thank you. I reached out to Archie’s Puppy Raisers, Jackie and Andy, so we could have a catch-up and I could show them who Archie’s become and what he means to me.”
“There are so many people who volunteered their time, like Jackie and Andy, and the fosterers (the people who look after Archie during his training). But also, the people who generously donated money to help pay for his training. Without people supporting Guide Dogs, I don’t know where I would be.”
“To anybody considering leaving a gift in their will to Guide Dogs, just go for it”
Helen says, “I would say to somebody considering leaving a gift in their Will to Guide Dogs, just go for it. It’s such a good cause. They rely so much on people’s contributions, on people leaving money in their Wills.
“The fact that two out of three guide dogs are only made possible thanks to gifts in Wills makes you realise just how important it is for anybody who’s questioning whether they should do it.
“Having visited the Guide Dog National Centre, I’ve seen just how involved Guide Dogs as an organisation is. From raising puppies to training them and all of the follow-on care the dogs are given after being partnered up – it’s not just that finished article, it’s everything that happens along the way. They need the help that we can give by leaving a gift in our Wills.”
How do I leave a gift in my Will to Guide Dogs?
The team at Guide Dogs understands that leaving a gift in your Will is a personal decision. Wanting everyone to feel comfortable and in control of their choice, Guide Dogs offers a free Gifts in Wills Guide containing guidance on what to think about when planning your Will, as well as a choice of ways to donate, to help you.
They’ve also created a list of promises, so you know what to expect. You can find out more about Guide Dogs’ promise to you when you consider leaving a gift in your Will on their website.
Helen says, “It was really straightforward updating my Will. I had a Will made years ago, but I wanted to get it updated, which was very simple to do – adding in Guide Dogs was really easy. There’s also help from Guide Dogs through the free Wills services if you need a solicitor.
Final thoughts…
Guide dogs are life-changing for people with sight loss. And, with the number of people living with sight loss in the UK predicted to double by 2050, the work of charities like Guide Dogs is more important than ever.
Over 75,000 people have kindly remembered Guide Dogs with a gift in their Will. Gifts in Wills don’t just help people with sight loss; they help them live lives full of purpose and passion, opportunities and experiences. Your donation could make all the difference.
If you’re interested in finding out more about gifts in Wills, you can use the button below.
To read more about how gifts in Wills can change lives, why not take a walk through Guide Dogs’ virtual park? Here, you can meet the friends and families of some of Guide Dogs’ supporters who left gifts in their Wills, alongside the people who benefit from these special gifts.
