Back running for Support Dogs

After a six year break from half marathons, I’ve decided to get back out there and signed up for the Carsington Water Half Marathon on Saturday December 6, 2025. Not long now!!!

The race involves running an undulating route on trail paths around Carsington Water in Derbyshire and the chance to soak up the epic views of the surrounding countryside.

I will be running, with my friend Suzanne Dixon, and raising funds for my chosen charity Support Dogs UK.

The Sheffield-headquartered Support Dogs provides, trains and supports registered assistance dogs, ensuring people affected by autism, epilepsy and physical disability receive vital, life-saving support.

The charity provides autism assistance dogs, bringing safety and reducing stress for autistic children; seizure alert dogs for people with epilepsy, offering a 100 per cent accurate warning prior to a seizure so they can get to a place of safety and take control; and disability assistance dogs for physically disabled people, who can perform tasks tailored to the owners’ needs including opening and closing doors, assisting with dressing and undressing, loading and unloading the washing machine, and raising an alarm in an emergency.

I met some of the charity’s staff, trainers and dogs that are currently learning the skills to become support dogs, and four-legged friend Charlie who is already helping out an individual with disabilities.

It was such an inspiring session with the charity, so I decided to help support their vital life changing services.

Support Dogs is currently the only organisation in the UK to train and provide seizure alert dogs, and the first to train autism assistance dogs. It costs £27,000 to take a dog through a two-year training plan to become a support dog. One in four support dogs come from a rescue centre or as an unwanted pet and they have an eight-year working career.

There are more than 4,000 requests each year from individuals for support dogs. In 2024, Support Dogs purchased land for a new national centre in Sheffield which will allow it to take its support and services to the next level, and the £4.2m project is currently underway.

Support Dogs currently receives no government funding and relies entirely on voluntary donations, so every pound I can raise is crucial to their work.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me…I appreciate every donation.

Abby