Did you know our Senior Business Lending Manager, Neil Wade, has a soft spot for furry, four-legged friends? 

Neil is a dedicated Puppy Raiser for Guide Dogs UK, a role where he and his family provide a young puppy with the essential foundation for its future as a guide dog. Over 12-14 months, they help the puppy through training, socialisation, and new experiences, all while giving it a loving home.

Neil is now raising his fourth puppy, a black Labrador named “Faldo,” named in honour of Sir Nick Faldo, the legendary golfer and television commentator. 

This year, Guide Dogs UK was chosen as the Official Charity Partner for the Betfred British Masters, hosted by Sir Nick at The Belfry, where he made Ryder Cup history. In recognition of Sir Nick’s support for the charity, a puppy was named after him, and Neil was invited to the event alongside puppy “Faldo” to help raise awareness and much-needed funds.

As part of the event, British bookmaker Betfred pledged £500 for every eagle made during the tournament, which resulted in an impressive total of 44 eagles.  A further £500 was also added to the fundraising pot for anyone driving onto the green on the famous par 4 10th hole. With other donations, over £75,000 was raised for Guide Dogs at the event.

The funds raised from the event will support Guide Dogs in training a puppy until it is ready to be paired with a guide dog owner. That dog will spend 8 to 10 years helping its owner accomplish tasks they couldn’t do independently, opening up new opportunities and allowing them to live a healthy, independent life.

Reflecting on his experience, Neil said, “It’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. I take immense pride in my role as a puppy raiser. Every day, 250 people in the UK start to lose their sight—one person every six minutes. It costs around £38k to provide all the expert training needed to train a guide dog, transforming them from a pup to a partnership so the money raised will go towards helping visually impaired people live the life they choose.

On behalf of all of us at Finance for Enterprise, we’re incredibly proud of Neil’s dedication and the incredible impact he’s making!

If you would like to learn more about Guide Dogs and the vital role, they play in helping visually impaired people, then please click here.