Helpful Hounds Assistance Dogs selected as new charity partner

The charity topped our internal staff poll from a list of local and regional good causes, which was overseen by our Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) committee. Fundraising and awareness raising efforts for the charity will now take place over the next two years.

The firm has set a fundraising target of £12,000, which will equate to sponsoring an assistance dog through a full course of training.

Helpful Hounds trains assistance dogs to provide confidence, support and companionship for young people and their families in Southern England. The dogs are trained to support young people with a range of needs, such as physical disabilities, autism, Down’s Syndrome, PTSD or other emotional challenges. Where necessary, they can be trained to provide potentially life-saving alerts for medical conditions or hearing impairments. Assistance dogs are also trained to work in Special Needs Schools and Departments and for adults facing similar challenges.

Helpful Hounds CEO, Peter Rufus, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have this charity partnership with Steele Raymond which, apart from the financial support, will provide a great opportunity for us to give back through getting involved with some fund-raising projects as well as interacting with events such as ‘Cuddle a Dog’ days for staff and clients.

“Support from companies, local to us, is always appreciated and we are looking forward to the next two years of working with Steele Raymond and their staff”.

To celebrate the launch of the new charity partnership, our staff were thrilled to receive a visit from golden retriever assistance dog, Raffi and new trainee labrador puppy, Cherry Junior. The very cuddly and talented duo were accompanied by CEO Peter Rufus and his wife Sally, a fellow Helpful Hounds trustee, as well as trainer Vicky Mansfield.

Jenny Rogerson, Managing Partner at Steele Raymond, said: “We’re delighted to be able to support Helpful Hounds as our new charity partner. We are all very much looking forward to engaging with the charity and raising as much as we can, as well as shining a spotlight on the vital work they do for young people in our community, helping them to achieve their maximum potential.”

We will be supporting the charity through a programme of activities including staff fundraising events, sponsored challenges, cake sales and raffles.