Workers from Winnersh Triangle in Reading were treated to a lunchtime cuddle with Guide Dog puppies earlier this week, in a bid to combat stress and boost work-life balance whilst raising funds for Guide Dogs UK’s Reading Mobility Team.
A team of 12 Guide Dogs and their handlers took time out from their busy schedules on Wednesday 3 July to raise awareness of the charity’s work that enables blind and partially sighted people to get out and about on their own terms. On the day, workers on the park were able to meet three puppies, seven working guide dogs and two dogs in training.
Clive Wood, Engagement Office, at Guide Dogs said: “Our charity is the world’s largest trainer of working dogs and over the years has helped more than 29,000 people to achieve life-changing independence. Our ambition is a future where every person with sight loss has the confidence and support they need to live their lives to the full.
“We have a team of 34 staff based at Winnersh Triangle who, together with volunteers, work to deliver Guide Dogs’ services in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, West Sussex and Surrey. The Reading Mobility Team has been based at Winnersh for five years now and, in that time, 228 Guide Dog partnerships have been created. Our ‘meet the puppies’ event has become a popular fixture among the business community here.”
The event raised more than £800 for the charity by workers who gave donations in return for a cuddle with the dogs including Winnie, Florrie and Vernon. Coincidentally, on the day of the event, new research from Washington State University provided new, objective evidence that soothing sessions with dogs can lessen the impact of stress*.
Katharine Westcar, Head of Marketing at Frasers Property UK said: “Guide Dogs is a brilliant charity and the team here are a valued part of our community, so we are really pleased to have supported their fundraising event.
“We’re also really grateful to them for putting on such a rewarding event and contributing to the health and wellbeing of our WinnershLife community. We believe that a positive work life balance leads to increased productivity, lower absenteeism and a happier, less stressed workforce, so we regularly arrange and run a variety of events and activities like this throughout the year for everyone to enjoy.”
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About Winnersh Triangle
Winnersh Triangle is an office and technology park located close to junction 10 of the M4, near Reading. Owned by Frasers Property UK, the 90-acre business park totals 1.5 million square feet and is occupied by over 60 companies employing more than 5,500 people. Visit winnershtriangle.co.uk for further information.
About Frasers Property Limited
Frasers Property Limited (“Frasers Property” and together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”), is a multi-national company that develops, owns and manages a diverse, integrated portfolio of properties. Listed on the Main Board of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (“SGX-ST”) and headquartered in Singapore, the Group has total assets of approximately S$33.2 billion as at 31 March 2019.
Frasers Property’s assets range from residential, retail, commercial & business parks, to logistics & industrial in Southeast Asia, Australia, Europe and China. Its well-established hospitality business owns and/or operates serviced apartments and hotels in over 70 cities across Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Group is unified by its commitment to deliver enriching and memorable experiences to customers and stakeholders, leveraging its knowledge and capabilities from across markets and property sectors, to deliver value in its multiple asset classes.
Frasers Property is also the sponsor of three real estate investment trusts and one stapled trust listed on the SGX-ST. Frasers Centrepoint Trust, Frasers Commercial Trust, and Frasers Logistics & Industrial Trust are focused on retail, commercial & business parks, and logistics & industrial properties respectively. Frasers Hospitality Trust (comprising Frasers Hospitality Real Estate Investment Trust and Frasers Hospitality Business Trust) is a stapled trust focused on hospitality properties.
For more information on Frasers Property, please visit https://www.frasersproperty.com/.
About Guide Dogs
Every hour, another person in the UK loses their sight and if this happens to you, Guide Dogs is there to make sure you don’t lose your freedom as well.
We want everyone who experiences sight loss to be able to live their lives the way they choose and feel confident, independent and supported in the world. A UK-wide charity, we’re specialists in giving people who are blind or partially sighted the means to live life on their own terms and to step out into the world again. Find out more at guidedogs.org.uk. To help us continue our life-changing work, we rely on donations from individuals. There are almost two million people in the UK living with sight loss today, a number which is predicted to double to four million by 2050.
For media queries, please contact:
Big Brand Ideas
Cara Churchman / Patrick Giffney
T 0161 441 4740
E cara@bigbrandideas.co.uk / patrick@bigbrandideas.co.uk
Frasers Property UK
Katharine Westcar
T 0118 304 2992
