Mother and daughter raise money to name guide dog puppy

The mother-daughter duo have raised over £2,600, which will go towards naming a guide dog puppy in memory of Tracy’s husband and Jess’ father, who passed away six years ago.

While the weather stretched the 10-day journey out a little longer than intended, the pair had some wonderful support along the way. 

A close friend of Tracy’s, Victoria, provided invaluable support with a caravan along the way, ensuring Tracy and Jess would have a warm, dry place to stay at night.

Jess and Tracy with logistic superstar Victoria (Image: Image: Tracy Jones)

Tracy, who worked a busy job as a senior academic at a university, experienced a profound shift in her life following her husband’s sudden death.

She said: “At that point, I realized life is too short, and I needed to do something different,."

In 2018, she left her career to reassess and started volunteering as a puppy raiser for Guide Dogs, before moving on to giving a home to a guide dog mum, Poppy, who still lives with her.

Upon moving from Cheltenham to Oxfordshire, Tracy answered a desperate call for volunteers from Guide Dogs, who were setting up a new fundraising group in the area.

Over the years her involvement has grown, with Tracy leading the way as a group coordinator and volunteer speaker with her faithful fundraising helper and ambassador dog Poppy by her side.

Tracy’s husband, Davey, had always wanted to do the journey down the Thames from Lechlade, Gloucestershire to Teddington Lock, but unfortunately wasn’t able to undertake the adventure before he suddenly passed away from a cardiac arrest at the age of 56.

Tracy and Jess decided to make the journey to honour his memory, using the proceeds of their fundraiser to honour his memory while also giving back to the charity that Tracy loves.

Jess with her mum Tracy paddling in front of her (Image: Image: Tracy Jones)

Tracy said: “This canoeing trip was more than just a fundraiser, it was about linking everything together.

“It was wonderful to spend this time with Jess, doing something my husband always wanted to do.”

Guide Dogs helps two million people in the UK living with sight loss live the life they choose.

The staff, volunteers and life-changing dogs help people affected by sight loss live actively, independently and well.

Founded in 1934, following the first partnership in 1931, they are a charity that is almost entirely dependent on donations.