A GUIDE Dogs puppy has been named in honour of a former Somerset Council adult social care manager who died just a few weeks into her retirement.

The council’s adult social care team across West Somerset worked hard to raise £2,500 during the past six months for the Guide Dogs charity.

Now, they have been able to choose Winston for the name of a puppy, in tribute to Christine Denovan, who died in 2021 and whose own dog was named Winston.

Her team decided to start a fund-raising campaign to name a guide dog in her memory, as her love of dogs was well-known.

They raised the £2,500 needed in just six months by holding raffles at every team meeting, a cake sale, and a silent auction supported by businesses and team members.

One of the staff, Jan Huckle, said: “Christine dedicated most of her working life to supporting people in the community, through what was for many a challenging time in their life.

 “Chris herself would have been touched by the generous donations raised in her name, knowing that although she is no longer here, she is still helping people.”

Members of the West Somerset adult social care team.
Members of the West Somerset adult social care team. (Somerset Council)

Guide Dogs community fund-raising relationship manager Krissie Isaac said: “As a charity, we rely almost entirely on public donations to keep our vital services for people with sight loss running.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support from Somerset Council.

“Our ‘Name a Puppy’ scheme is a wonderful opportunity to be at the heart of a guide dog’s story.

“We hope that puppy Winston will go on to change someone’s life in Christine’s honour.”

It costs over £55,000 to train and support a guide dog partnership over the lifetime of the dog.

About 24,000 people on Somerset live with sight loss according to the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).

While they are not all registered blind, their visual impairment is significant enough to impact their daily lives.

More information about ‘Name a Puppy’ os available by visiting www.guidedogs.org.uk/nap or calling 0800 781 1444.

Guide Dogs, founded in 1931, helps two million people in the UK who live with sight loss to live the life they choose, and is almost entirely funded by donations.