Volunteers celebrated at Guide Dog Awards

The awards categories were based around Guide Dogs’ values and members of the Society’s fundraising branch - Torie Tennant, Liz Taylor and Anne McKeown - won the award for Maximising Impact which celebrates the volunteer who ‘makes every penny count and is mindful of the generosity of the public and time given by other volunteers. They are committed, reliable and get the job done’.

Torie was also a runner-up in the Dedicated to Superior Quality category. The category celebrated the volunteer ‘who maintains a high standard in their role and others value their expertise. Their work benefits our service users’.

Guide Dogs’ aim is for a society in which people who are blind and partially-sighted enjoy the same freedom of movement as everyone else. The charity really values the contribution and commitment of all their volunteers, including around 350 in Northern Ireland, in helping to make this aim a reality. Their volunteers carry out a huge range of different roles, from office support to puppy walking, fundraising to sighted guiding.

Volunteer Awards are specially organised each year to highlight the fantastic contributions made by these dedicated volunteers. As part of UK Volunteers’ Week Guide Dogs NI hosted an awards ceremony and gala lunch at the Duncairn Complex in north Belfast on June 8.

The local winners in each category will now be considered for shortlisting in the charity’s Annual People Awards held in November.