A CHARITY which provides mobility for blind people has received a £5,000 grant towards training a guide dog’s first year of training.

Staff at the Thirsk branch of the Santander bank nominated Guide Dogs for the funds from its Community Plus initiative after they said they wanted to help a person with sight loss or visual impairment become mobile and independent again.

The grant will fund the puppy walking stage of a future guide dog, which includes training so that is socially well behaved, friendly and responsive to its handler.

The puppies are also exposed to a variety of environments, including town conditions, and taken on different types of transport so that they are relaxed and confident on them.

A Guide Dogs spokeswoman said: “It costs nearly £50,000 to support a Guide Dog partnership from the birth of the puppy to its retirement aged about ten.

“We don’t receive any Government funding for this service and therefore rely on the generosity of companies and the public to support our Guide Dog partnerships in the UK.”