Our 90th anniversary
We're celebrating 90 years of helping people with sight loss live the life they choose.
In October 1931, the UK’s first guide dog partnerships qualified and our first four dogs changed the first four lives. Since then, we’ve been there for people with sight loss and those around them – every day and every step of the way. And with new services, new technologies and our amazing staff, volunteers, dogs and supporters, we will be there for the next 90.
Our support for people with sight loss over the past 90 years
A quick journey through our archives in our video below showing how we’ve supported people with sight loss over the past 90 years
Paw-trait of a Star
Andy Gotts, who is famous for his portraits of celebrities, has created a series of stunning images of the UK's most famous faces - and their dogs - to help launch our 90th-anniversary celebrations. Celebs such as Simon Cowell, David Walliams, Tilda Swinton, Jim Carter and Imelda Staunton, posed with their own dogs to help launch the Guide Dogs 90 Appeal.
Needless to say, for my career sight is important, so I have always thought that helping a charity like Guide Dogs that supports people with a vision impairment is something I would love to do.
Guide Dogs 90th Anniversary Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show
To celebrate the first British guide dog partnerships made 90 years ago, we created the Guide Dogs 90th Anniversary Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
The garden uses sculptures, planting and a changing pathway to illustrate the journey that somebody with sight loss takes, from fear and isolation to a life of enrichment and independence. It's been designed to be enjoyed by people with sight loss by using flower arrangements in vivid blocks of colour, and uses different textures, smells and even tastes.
Our 90th anniversary garden has been designed to celebrate our history. The first four guide dog owners in Britain were veterans of the First World War. To honour this, the two main features of the garden are two metal sculptures - the first is a veteran in the hollow looking very sad and feeling lost, and the second sculpture is of a veteran with a guide dog to represent the life these men were able to regain when matched with their German Shepherds in October 1931.
Take a look at our video with the designers, Jonathan and Adam, who share more insight into the design and build of the Guide Dogs 90th anniversary garden.
You can also experience the garden by listening to the audio description of Guide Dogs 90th Anniversary Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Guide Dogs 90 Appeal
We couldn't have helped thousands of blind and partially sighted people over the last 90 years without our incredible fundraisers. Celebrate with us and join the Guide Dogs 90 Appeal by taking on a 90 themed fundraiser.
Walk 90km, bake and sell 90 cakes, or celebrate with a disco through the decades. However you choose to fundraise 90 your way, you’ll be helping ensure we can continue to be there for people with sight loss now and for the next 90 years.
Wills changing lives
Over the last 90 years more than 75,000 thoughtful people have supported Guide Dogs past, present and future by remembering us with a gift in their Will.
Help us to celebrate their lives and honour their memories by walking through our virtual park where each flower that blooms is a tribute to the lives we are remembering. You can read their stories and hear how their kind intentions have been realised in the lives that they have helped to change.
Take a look at our product range for our 90th anniversary products in our shop!
Royal Canin is proud to be supporting Guide Dogs on our 90th anniversary.
We’ve only been able to do our life-changing work over the last 90 years thanks to the amazing support from all of our donors, including our valued partners such as Royal Canin.
