Unite For Access: Saints team up with Guide Dogs
Guide Dogs volunteers from the Eastleigh Fundraising Group, along with 15 guide dogs, ambassador dogs, and puppies in training, visited St Mary’s Stadium on Friday 6th March to meet our colleagues.
The visit was organised as part of the club’s support for Level Playing Field’s Unite for Access campaign, and commitment to creating a more inclusive environment for everyone.
Colleagues from across the club had the chance to learn more about the life-changing support Guide Dogs provides for people living with vision impairments and how this fits within the club’s broader inclusion work.
Speaker Tom McInulty, accompanied by his guide dog Toby, shared his personal experience of losing his sight overnight at the age of 31 following an accident. Before then, Tom’s career saw him travel the world with the Merchant Navy.
Now retired, Tom became a guide dog owner in 1990 and has worked for sight loss charities, including in management at the Macular Society. Toby is Tom’s fourth guide dog.
Volunteers and dogs were given a tour of the ground, including the accessible stand, before chatting with colleagues in the Staplewood Lounge. Thanks to everyone’s generosity, the visit raised £259 for Guide Dogs from the merchandise stand and tombola.
St Mary's staff received a visit from the Guide Dogs volunteers. (Photos: Sophie Hall)
Katrina Dick, EDI Lead for Southampton Football Club, said: "We were delighted to welcome the Guide Dogs team and their amazing dogs to St Mary’s Stadium. Hearing Tom’s story and seeing the impact Guide Dogs has on people’s lives was truly inspiring.
"This visit is part of our ongoing support for the Level Playing Fields campaign, Unite for Access, and demonstrates how the club is committed to ensuring accessibility and inclusion for all."
David Herbert, Group Coordinator for Eastleigh Fundraising Group, said: "Meeting the staff at Southampton Football Club was a fantastic opportunity to share the work that Guide Dogs does and show first-hand how our dogs change lives.
We’re incredibly grateful for the warm welcome from everyone at the club and for the chance to raise awareness of the challenges people with a vision impairment face every day."
Guide Dogs is funded almost entirely by donations, which are used to directly support adults and children with sight loss through guide dogs, buddy dogs, vision rehabilitation, and other essential services.
For more information about Guide Dogs, visit www.guidedogs.org.uk.
