Commercial property agency Innes England donated hundreds of pounds to Guide Dogs UK after it held a pawsome event to celebrate being crowned the Most Active Agent in the East Midlands for the tenth consecutive year.
Terry Rodgers, who started to lose his sight in 1988, was plunged into darkness after suffering a stroke in 2007.
For the past two years the 63-year-old, of Radcliffe-on-Trent, has been attending events around Nottinghamshire to raise vital funds for the charity for the blind and partially sighted.
Mr Rodgers visited Innes’ Nottingham office – along with his six-year-old assistance dog Emmett – as employees from the firm cycled 100 miles across the East Midlands in just one day.
The company donated £350 to Guide Dogs UK after it held a party – and an unusual race night where six pink clockwork pigs competed on a table top track – on the day of the two-wheeled challenge.
Mr Rodgers said: “I was blown away by the amount of money Innes England donated to Guide Dogs. It was in excess of anything we ever expected. Emmett is my best friend and he has given me my independence back.
“It costs around £55,000 to train and look after each guide dog so this money will be a massive help. The charity relies on donations as it is not government funded so every penny raised is always gratefully received.”
Twelve people from Innes England got in the saddle to celebrate being crowed the Most Active Agent in the East Midlands for the tenth consecutive year in the Estates Gazette Interactive (EGi) deals competition.
They cycled across the region, taking in all three of the company’s offices in Nottingham, Leicester and Derby in the process.
Tim Garratt, managing director at Innes England, said: “Meeting Terry and hearing his story was very inspiring. Before he had Emmett, he was insecure and would rarely leave the house, but now he has his confidence back.
“Sight loss is something that affects almost two million people in the UK and the charity provides those people with the support they need to be able to move around safely.
“One of our company values is legacy, so it is important for us to give back and ensure we leave a lasting impression therefore we are proud to have supported Guide Dogs UK by donating much-needed funds.”
The EGi deals competition is designed to establish the agents completing the largest volume of deals throughout the year. The competition is an independent survey, conducted by a research team, which covers commercial property transactions.
Throughout the East Midlands, Innes England completed more than 400 deals across the industrial, office, retail, leisure and investment sectors for its clients.
