Dog lovers support canine charity at the Great British Dog Walk at Ickworth Park, near Bury St Edmunds

A Suffolk event helped raise awareness and funds for a charity that helps deaf people reconnect with life.

Dog owners completed the Great British Dog Walk for Hearings Dogs for Deaf People at Ickworth Park, near Bury St Edmunds.

Over 190 people and 115 dogs attended the National Trust location on Saturday, September 24 as their four-legged friends sported limited-edition charity bandanas.

The charity aims to train more dogs to alert deaf people to important and life-saving sounds and help them leave behind loneliness by providing constant emotional support and companionship.

It costs around £40,000 to fully train and support a hearing dog for the duration of its life and Hearing Dogs for Deaf People receives no central government funding.

The Great British Dog Walk is a valuable way of raising awareness and funds to help the charity continue its life-changing work.

The grounds of Ickworth Park were filled with people and their canines of all shapes and sizes, walking either a short 3km route or a longer 8km scenic route.

Rachel Clarke, Hearing Dogs community fundraising manager for the region, said: “We were delighted to see so many people and their dogs from Suffolk and from further afield enjoy The Great British Dog Walk.

“Ickworth Park is a stunning venue and we are very grateful to the National Trust for their support in hosting our event.

“Every walker will directly help us to train more dogs to change the lives of deaf people, so we greatly appreciate the support they showed us by coming along. We had people there with and without dogs and there was such a great community feel, with everyone coming together to walk for a good cause.”

For more information about the Great British Dog Walk and how people can get involved with Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, visit www.hearingdogs.org.uk.