The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP (Leigh Labour MP), joined guide dog owners and puppy walkers as he performed an official Stone Laying Ceremony to celebrate the building of the brand new world-class Guide Dog Training School, in Atherton, in the North-West of England on Friday 05 December.

The new purpose-built school, being constructed by Galiford Try Construction, replaces the charity’s existing Bolton training facility which has been in operation for nearly 50 years. With its state-of-the-art welfare facilities and outstanding training areas, it will ensure that trainee guide dogs are fully prepared for today’s busy streets and complex towns.

With this new world-class training environment, Guide Dogs will be able to train an increased number of happy, healthy, high-quality guide dogs to provide a life-transforming level of independence and confidence to thousands of blind and partially-sighted people across the UK. It is hoped that around 30% more guide dogs will be trained at Atherton taking the total a year for the North West from around 260 to about 345.

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