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Canine Partners team members show their skills to service members of B Squadron at the Cranwell RAF base.
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In perfect flight formation
RECENTLY at RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire, Canine Partners' display team showed off their skills in a presentation about the work of the charity to an enthralled audience of over 500 people that consisted of service personnel from RAF Cranwell and also children from the local Cranwell primary school.
The Canine Partners team showed how the charity's dogs are trained, starting when they are raw recruits at a mere six weeks old and then through to eventual partnership placement when they are approximately 18 months old. With Canine Partner Endal at his side Allen Parton explained the benefits of assistance dogs from a partner's perspective which was so appropriate, it being from an ex-serviceman's point of view on this occasion and it was well received by the service community that attended.
For Allen, having served for 20 years in the Royal Navy, it was quite nerve-racking to address so many RAF personnel, but as Allen said in his talk "he felt able to call himself a pseudo-RAF member having had actually spent over two-and-a-half years in RAF hospitals and rehab units.
"We spent two days at RAF Cranwell" said Allen "and it was so great to be back in a world that truly is unique and exclusive to military personnel ... we were all made to feel so at home".
He added: "When one comes back injured from a conflict after serving Queen and Country, there is always a feeling of guilt that one has ... that you have let everyone down in some way and that you have failed your service colleges. The RAF Cranwell team would have none of such self-pity and we were just made so genuinely welcome by everyone."
The event was organised by RAF Cranwell's B Squadron, 214 Initial Officer Training Course, which graduated just recently. The students raised £3400 for charity throughout their time at RAF Cranwell. They donated £1700 to Canine Partners and £1700 to Hazel's Footsteps - a charity aimed at helping students in disadvantaged countries.
Anyone who is interested in becoming a puppy parent or who would like to help Canine Partners can contact the charity either by ringing 0845 6580480 or by visiting the website at www.caninepartners.co.uk for further information.
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