Guide dogs Chester-Le-street and Durham Fundraising Group

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Guide dogs Chester-Le-street and Durham  Fundraising Group Chester-le-Street & Durham fundraising group for Guide Dogs, who are all volunteers.

Hi all back by popular demand is santapawes. It’s a photo shoot with Santa and his sleigh £10 minimum donation to GD you...
04/10/2026

Hi all back by popular demand is santapawes. It’s a photo shoot with Santa and his sleigh £10 minimum donation to GD you will get digital photos shortly after shoot and I got mine made into Xmas cards last year. Anyone wishing to book please follow link below thanks

It's back! Get a beautiful photo with your furry friend and Santa Paws himself in our custom-made sleigh, all in aid of Guide Dogs!

Come down to Durham marketplace today and say hello
31/07/2026

Come down to Durham marketplace today and say hello

Come along meet and make your own dog.
26/07/2026

Come along meet and make your own dog.

09/06/2026

Get ready for a spectacular weekend of nostalgia as the Chester-le-Street Steam & Vintage Fair returns to the stunning grounds of the Lambton Estate! Celebrating its landmark 70th anniversary since the very first rally in 1956, this year's event on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th June 2026 promises to be an action-packed celebration of mechanical heritage.

It’s a perfect family day out where you can hear the roar and smell the coal of massive, powerful steam traction engines, alongside a massive showcase of classic cars, vintage motorbikes, stationary engines, historic military vehicles, andtractors. Packed with nostalgic fairground rides and dramatic historic re-enactments, there is something to capture everyone’s imagination.

Gates open from 10am to 5pm each day, with day tickets available on the gate or in advance, and kids under 5 getting in absolutely free!!

Don't miss out on the North East's ultimate summer weekend of vintage charm—grab the family and come join the fun!

08/02/2026

When you see a Service Dog working in public—calm, focused, unbothered by noise, people, carts, or chaos—you see the result.

What you don’t see is the two years behind that moment.

You don’t see the thousands of quiet repetitions.

The hours of practice.

The patience it took to teach calm where excitement once lived.

You see a dog lying peacefully under a restaurant table.

You don’t see the countless meals spent training that behavior—sitting through clattering dishes, dropped food, loud laughter, and curious strangers. Training a dog to ignore everything so they can be everything for one person.

You see a dog walking confidently through a store.

You don’t see the 6 weeks care given to the brood bitch and her puppies by a volunteer. The early mornings and late nights spent in places like Tesco and Sansburys—not for attention, not to bother anyone—but to prepare a dog to one day guide someone safely through the same aisles. To help them find what they need. To pick up what they drop. To give them dignity without asking for help.

You see a polished working dog.

You don’t see the puppy.

You don’t see the foster family who opened their home and their heart. The family who donated their time, their sleep, their energy—feeding, grooming, socializing, teaching basic life skills. Loving a puppy fully, knowing one day they would have to give them back. Not because it was easy—but because it mattered.

You don’t see the moment that puppy leaves the foster home and returns to the organization.

You don’t see the trainer who takes over—building confidence, sharpening skills, shaping purpose. Turning potential into reliability. Curiosity into calm. Drive into service.

You don’t see the setbacks.

The slow days.

The days when progress feels invisible.

But all of it matters.

Because one day, that dog will change someone’s life.

They will help someone see their way through a store.

They will retrieve what hands cannot.

They will ground someone when the world feels overwhelming.

They will give independence back to someone who lost it.

They will create freedom where there once was limitation.

Service Dogs are not accidental.

They are built—with time, consistency, compassion, and community.

What you see is a dog doing a job.

What you don’t see is the investment made so someone else can live with more confidence, more safety, and more hope.

That quiet dog at your feet?

They carry years of work in their calm.

They carry love in their training.

They carry purpose in every step.

And sometimes—

They carry a little wiggle of hope,

Changing lives without ever saying a word.

Happy new year to all our volunteers and supporters hope you all have a fantastic year.
01/01/2026

Happy new year to all our volunteers and supporters hope you all have a fantastic year.

Merry Christmas from Coco and Oaksie to all our volunteers and supporters have a fantastic day.
24/12/2025

Merry Christmas from Coco and Oaksie to all our volunteers and supporters have a fantastic day.

We would like to thank all the staff from HMRC in Benton today. We sold £2219.80 worth of merchandise donations were £13...
27/11/2025

We would like to thank all the staff from HMRC in Benton today. We sold £2219.80 worth of merchandise donations were £136.24 and we sold 13 of our calendars. Thanks goes to our volunteers and our amazing pups. Well done everyone
Photo shows guide dog Diamond looking up at the camera while her mam talks to a member of staff

Address

Chester-Le-Street
Chester-le-Street

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 9pm
Tuesday 8am - 9pm
Wednesday 8am - 9pm
Thursday 8am - 9pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

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