About Our Society

The Golfers Guide Dog Society was formed during the seventies by a small band looking to play golf and raise money for The Guide Dogs. Today the group has over 90 members who play 3 times a year in May, July and October.

2009 saw a good year for the society where we played 2 new courses to us starting with Launceston Golf Club and then Dainton Park. Both courses were in excellent condition and the food at both was superb. Unfortunately we didn’t have very good turnouts with less than 60 players at each event. However the last event at Trevose was fully subscribed with 100 teeing off who played in glorious sunshine.  

I would like to thank our sponsors this year who were PSP Insurance and Financial Solutions Ltd, ASKKSA Ltd, Town & County Lettings and Mother Ivey’s Bay Caravan Park. Also to Graham Ruth and his Tee Time Services team who ensured the days went off well. Also to Dave Wardle for the web site and it’s layout. 

The President, Captain and Myself were also pleased to have presented a cheque in October to Pam Gratton and Zorbee from The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association for £ 3,000 which I would like to think is a brilliant sum considering the low entries at some events. A big thank you must go to you the members and your guests in supporting the events this year.

In an effort to thank you for taking part in each event we gave away to each entry at Dainton Park a rack of golf balls as well as pencils. We will continue with this at Lanhydrock and Dainton Park again next year and I am also looking at other items as a way of saying thank you.

For 2010 we will be playing Lanhydrock Golf Club on May 4th, sponsored by premier Leasing & Finance Ltd, followed by Dainton Park on 14th July and finally Trevose Golf Club on the 4th October sponsored by Mother Ivey’s Bay Caravan Park and Town & Country Lettings.

Letter from GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND ASSOCIATION

Guide Dogs wants a world in which all blind and partially-sighted people enjoy the same rights, opportunities and responsibilities as everyone else and our mission is to provide guide dogs and other mobility services that increase the independence and dignity of blind and partially-sighted people.

We campaign for improved rehabilitation services and unhindered access for all blind and partially-sighted people.

Once someone has lost their sight, a guide dog can give back a degree of freedom that often feels little short of miraculous. Most guide dog owners will tell you that when it comes to mobility aids, these highly-trained and sensitive animals are second to none. We have been expertly breeding and training guide dogs now for over seventy years and have provided thousands of dogs to blind and partially-sighted people of all ages and from all walks of life. When sight loss threatens to take away a person’s freedom of movement, Guide Dogs  is there to help.

Our primary aim is to provide Guide Dogs to blind and partially sighted people who can achieve freedom and independence that a guide dog can give, however, we also provide other rehabilitation and mobility services too and we are proud to be leading the way within other areas, including research into eye health. Our findings could eventually lead to new treatments for common eye diseases in both adults and children.

Of course all this work comes at a price and Guide Dogs receives no government funding or other grants of any kind and relies wholly on public donations to continue our service.  We are also a charity that needs to implement long term financial planning as we make a commitment for life to guide dogs and their owners.

It currently costs £2,200 to breed each puppy and another £4,900 to take each pup through its initial stage of puppy walking training, the costs of additional training and support comes in at another £21,000. It costs on average £21,800 to support each active partnership throughout the time dog and owner are working together – generally six to seven years.

We are extremely grateful for the support that the Golfers Guide Dog Society give us year after year.  The money you raise is vital to enable us to continue our work and support the blind and partially-sighted people who rely upon us.  We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the part you play in making the annual golf days such a success

THANK YOU

GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND ASSOCIATION

Should you wish to join the GGDS then click on downloads for your application form.

Sponsors of events are always being sort so if you are interested then please ring Keith Stenhouse on 01822 616756 or e-mail keith@ggds.co.uk for more information.