Volunteering opportunities

Volunteer Fundraiser

Location: Community based.

Qualifications, skills, knowledge or experience required

• No specific skills or experience required for this role. If you enjoy chatting to people, visiting new places and inspiring people to donate to a life-changing cause, this volunteering role is for you.

Key duties and responsibilities

• Getting involved and supporting local events run by your team, which could include anything from quiz nights to coffee mornings, to collections or sponsored walks.
• Using your communication skills to chat and tell people about Guide Dogs and why we need their support.
• Helping spread the word about your team’s events on social media and to your local networks.
• Using your imagination and creativity to suggest new fundraising ideas that could raise money for Guide Dogs. All suggestions are welcome!

Time commitment

This role is flexible, you can get involved as much or as little as works for you.

Volunteer Puppy Raiser

Location: Home based.

Qualifications, skills, knowledge or experience required

No specific qualifications or skills required, however, you'll ideally have:

• A loving home with enough time to invest in raising a puppy and attending to their needs (e.g. toilet training). If you work from home or have hobbies, you'll need to be available to give the puppy regular attention alongside these.

• Someone at home who is physically able to handle large breed dogs (around 25-40kg).

• Access to a car, so that you can get your puppy used to travelling.

• The agreement of your landlord to have a dog in the property if you rent your home.

• A safe secure area outside for your puppy to go to the toilet.

Key duties and responsibilities

• Engaging with our world-class Puppy Raising for Excellent Partnerships (PREP) training programme to prepare your puppy for the next stages of becoming a guide dog.
• Providing care and support for your puppy at home e.g., loving, grooming and feeding him or her.
• Socialising your puppy and introducing him or her to a variety of environments to increase confidence – this can be as simple as taking your puppy with you to the shops, office or park as you go about your everyday life.
• Teaching your puppy to be comfortable alone - gradually building up from a few minutes to a maximum of four hours.
• Taking your puppy to monthly puppy classes and interacting with other puppy raisers in your community whilst refreshing your training and sharing tips.
• Meeting with your volunteer manager as frequently as needed to discuss any changes or issues with your puppy.
• Completing short questionnaires about your puppy’s development.

Time commitment

You'll be looking after a puppy for 12-16 months and will guide him or her through training, socialisation, the introduction of new environments and experiences whilst providing a loving home.