HAMPSHIRE HOMEBUILDER HOSTS DINNER IN THE DARK TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR GUIDE DOGS

Leading Hampshire developer David Wilson Homes recently hosted a ‘dinner in the dark’ event at its Bruneval Gardens development to help raise awareness of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

DWHS-3681 – The dinner in the dark event taking place in a show home at Bruneval Gardens

The event in Aldershot was attended by Rob Allen, Sales Director at David Wilson Homes Southern, plus the Mayor and Mayoress of Rushmoor, Cllr Bruce Thomas and Tracey Thomas.

Guests were encouraged to enjoy a two-course lunch whilst wearing a blindfold to raise awareness of those living with visual impairments. In attendance from the Guide Dogs were Annette Butcher (Treasurer), Steve Whittick (My Guide) and Ellen Young (Puppy Raiser), who brought along a puppy in training, named Roddy.

Also present on the day was Supriya Lamport, who is visually impaired herself and brought her guide dog, Quiver, to share her experience.

David Wilson Homes is also donating £1,000 to the charity to support its work, which will go towards the services of volunteers in helping thousands of people with sight loss to lead confident, independent and fulfilling lives.

Annette Butcher said: “What a pleasure it was to join Rob and his guests for the dinner in the dark. The food was delicious, although it was challenging and messy eating whilst blindfolded! It took me much longer than usual to eat my lunch, that’s for sure!

“The support given to Guide Dogs by David Wilson Homes is greatly appreciated. It has been a difficult time fundraising during the pandemic and we rely on donations to continue our life-changing work.”

Cllr Bruce Thomas said: “The idea of the dinner in the dark enabled us to understand and encounter the challenges faced by visually impaired people – on something we do every day – eat a meal. The whole experience was enlightening, and humbling.”

The Guide Dogs representatives in attendance were able to talk about the important work the charity carries out on a daily basis.

To complete the event, Rob took the guests on a guided tour of the show homes at Bruneval Gardens and discussed the new community being built in Aldershot.

Rob Allen said: “We are delighted to have supported the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association in raising awareness for the work they do and we hope everyone enjoyed the event at Bruneval Gardens.

“It was fantastic to have representatives from the Guide Dogs share their experiences and give us all a new perspective on life with a visual impairment. It was a brilliant event and we hope to continue our close relationship with the charity in the future.”

To help those living with visual impairments, it costs £34,600 to breed and train a single guide dog and a total of £54,800 to support a guide dog from birth to retirement.