1. Saturday 5th September Portishead Marina

   The West of England MS Therapy Centre Charity Day

2. Saturday 19th September Portishead Marina

   RUH Forever Friend's Appeal Charity Day

3. Saturday 3rd October Portishead Marina

   Portishead Community Day for Local Charities

Event at Canary Wharf

We are very pleased to announce another very successful event at Canary Wharf when an amazing £30,000 was raised for the charity Fare Share. We had a few notes of appreciation from those taking part with the message "Great working with you and hope to again" So watch this space.

Making a splash for charity!

Dear Dave & Team

On behalf of everyone at Holly Hedge I would like to say a huge thank you to you and your team for a most enjoyable day at Portishead Marina on Saturday.

Your lovely Newfoundland dogs were amazing, and a credit to all the dedication and work put into training them to be 'heroes of the sea'. It was a real privilege to be 'rescued' by these gentle giants, and not only have I overcome my fear of water, but I am taking it a step further and booking swimming lessons!!

Thank you once again for all your support in making the day such a great success - we raised lots of money for the animals in our care, currently 40 dogs and puppies, and 90 cats and kittens. Once it is all in and counted, Katie our fundraiser will let you know the exact amount.

Looking forward to seeing you all again at the Harbour Festival next month.

Best wishes

Pauline Leeson
Founder, Holly Hedge Animal Sanctuary

Fundraising’s furriest rescue event

The South Hampshire branch of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and ‘Newfound Friends’, the number one Newfoundland Dog Water Display Team (featured on Channel five’s ‘Extraordinary Dogs series) will be making a big splash when they hold a fun-filled Newfoundland Rescue fundraising event at Town Quay Marina, Southampton on Saturday 02 July 2011, to raise money to help train more hearing dogs.

‘Newfound Friends’ (www.newfoundfriends.co.uk) is a team of highly skilled and experienced Newfoundland dog owners which runs a limited number of charity fundraising rescue events up and down the country. Sponsored participants jump into water to be rescued by one of the team’s massive 14-stone Newfoundland dogs!

Says Barbara Pink, Chair of the South Hampshire Hearing Dogs branch: “We have been very fortunate to be selected as one of the charities to benefit this summer, and are now looking for willing volunteers to take part in this furry fundraising event! The breeding, training, placement and life-long care of each hearing dog costs around £45,000, so we need as many willing volunteers – individuals, groups, companies and other organisations – as possible to take part and help us raise funds to change more deaf people’s lives.”

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is a world-leader in training hearing dogs to alert deaf people to important household sounds and danger signals such as the alarm clock, doorbell and smoke alarm in the home, at work and in public building – providing a life-changing level of independence confidence and security - as well as valuable companionship.

Minimum sponsorship to take part in the Newfoundland rescue event is £100 and there is a £25 non-returnable registration fee. There is prize of a trip on a 66ft ‘Sunseeker’ boat for the participant raising the most sponsorship. Places are limited so contact Chris Seward on 01329 668516 or Barbara Pink on 01962 760395 for more information as soon as possible.

For more information about the life-changing work of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People visit www.hearingdogs.org.uk

Christine and Debbie’s Newfoundland Rescue

Christine Fear and Debbie Norris both have Multiple Sclerosis, and attend The West of England MS Therapy Centre, so came along to watch the day we did for them on the 10th September. Both Chris and Debbie’s MS has caused limited mobility, with Christine using a wheelchair, and Debbie using walking aids.

Neither Debbie nor Christine had any plan to take part in the dive, but were given the opportunity to be rescued during the lunch break. They were helped into wetsuits by some of the staff from the MS Centre, and taken onto the water.

It was decided, nervously, that Christine should be the first to take the plunge, so the Newfoundland friends team lifted her from her chair into the boat, and into the Marina. With a team in the water and one in the boat, they lowered her carefully into the water, before taking the boat, away for Beau’s showpiece jump. When Beau had rescued a beaming Christine, and returned her to dry land, she looked at Debbie and said “I want to do it again”.

Then it was Debbie’s turn to jump in and be rescued by Beau. With just as much care as Christine, Debbie was lowered into the water to await her rescuer. “We’d only gone down to watch to give Christine some independence and to allow her husband some time without her; before we knew it we were in the water! The day just escalated, and it shows that you shouldn’t be restricted by your chair. Life’s too short to let opportunities like this pass. I’m already planning what we can do next”.

Christine and Debbie’s adventures have rung through the MS Therapy Centre, and given members, not just Debbie and Chris, a new look on life, and more confidence to do something that they may not normally do, all thanks to Newfound Friends.