Celia’s Story – If you go down in the woods today

Celia Gordon relates what happened to her

Yes, there was a surprise for me – and it wasn’t a teddy bears’ picnic. It was being ‘accosted’ by Belinda, CEO of OSF, while on a country walk with my husband Jonathan and our dogs.

Celia and her dogs BILBO and DIGBY

Spotting our rare breed terriers, Bilbo and Digby, Belinda instantly decided they would be perfect visiting dogs and within a month we were recruited. It was in 2022 and I had just left the local hospice where I had been a volunteer for more than eight years. So, instead of having the anticipated leisure time, I embarked on an unexpected new venture.

Today, Jonathan and I average six hours a week between us carrying out different duties for the charity. Whilst Bilbo, now six years old, started visiting in April 2022, it was another year before our younger dog, Digby, now three years old, passed his assessment; and Belinda was right in that they are proving ideal AAA visitors.

An endangered breed, Glen of Imaal terriers originate from Ireland and were bred for badger hunting, but ours give up easily when their instinct nudges them to chase a wild animal. They’re really couch potatoes, very calm and loving, and like visiting our two clients who in turn adore them. The dogs know that as soon as they are wearing their bandanas they’re off to work. But they don’t like getting up early in the morning and can act like stroppy teenagers. Both of our current clients see Bilbo and Digby regularly as Jonathan and I take it in turns to visit. My husband is not particularly gregarious, but he really enjoys his AAA role, especially taking a client who is not mobile on outings into Bury St Edmunds, accompanied by Bilbo.

As a family, we have always had dogs, and one of my sons is really committed to animal welfare, having been an RSPCA inspector for many years. He is now an animal welfare consultant, which has involved him in the television and film industry, working on a variety of sets including Jimmy’s Farm, Clarkson and All Creatures Great and Small, to name a few. He adopted two cats from OSF who urgently needed re-homing.

My work for OSF is now very varied, facilitated by my living mid-way between Bury St Edmunds and Newmarket, where the charity is based. On Tuesdays I help in the office as the team have so much to do and I like to contribute in any way I can, even if it is just making phone calls. I also sit in on case study sessions, where we decide on how best to meet the needs of different clients and discuss any other current issues. This is where I can draw on my experience of working for a hospice and seeing the different situations that people can be in.

Soon, I’ll become an assessor for OSF, going into the homes of prospective clients and matching them with AAA volunteers and their dogs. Again, my hospice experience should be valuable.

I’m also involved with fund-raising. For the past two years, near Christmas, the recorder ensemble I play with have been allowed to hold a concert in the atrium of Glasswell’s furniture store in Bury, fund-raising for OSF. And I’ll rattle my tins at every opportunity!

Assisting OSF is very rewarding, and being part of its caring community is reassuring, as volunteers can call on the charity for assistance. For instance, I had two hip replacements within nine months, and was immediately offered help with walking our dogs if Jonathan needed it. Fortunately, we could cope then but with our sons and grandchildren in Yorkshire and Australia, having another ‘family’ to call on is a real bonus.