A COMMUNITY interest company which trains disabled and disadvantaged people to become volunteer dog walkers, home boarders and day carers, has won a £10,000 grant.

Supporting People and Pets through Opportunities and Training (SPPOT) was set up in 2013 by Kerri Bee, who is a qualified dog behaviourist with 10 years experience of working with vulnerable adults.

Once trained the volunteers provide dog minding services primarily to people who are housebound due to physical disability, incapacity or old age.

SPPOT was nominated for the annual Aviva Broker Community Fund competition by Thomas Carroll Pembrokeshire.

Al Rees, a commercial account executive with the Haverfordwest-based firm, led the project. She encouraged work colleagues, friends, supporters and family to vote for SPPOT’s entry in the competition. It eventually gained more than 4,000 votes from the public.

Al said: “I began corresponding with Kerri via social media and was keen to help SPPOT because they are doing a fantastic job in training disabled and disadvantaged people to in turn help vulnerable adults and their dogs.

“Given the relative lack of job opportunities in Pembrokeshire, people with disabilities and long term illnesses are even further away from the job market.

“I am so pleased that we succeeded.”

Kerri Bee, founder of SPPOT, said: “We cannot thank Al Rees and the Thomas Carroll team enough for championing our cause and of course Aviva for this wonderful contribution to our work.

“The £10,000 grant will be used to train 10 volunteer dog walkers, enabling 60 dogs a week to be walked, bringing in sufficient funds to train 14 more volunteer dog walkers next year and so the pattern for sustainability will be established.

“It will enable us to support many more vulnerable dog owners across Pembrokeshire to maintain good ownership of their beloved dog, thus reducing strain on health and social care services and animal rescue services.”