POOCHES are helping to raise pounds for a new community centre in Warwick.
A dog show is being held in the College Gardens at St Mary’s Church on Saturday July 18, with all proceeds going to the Priory Pools Community Centre appeal.
Dog owners are invited to bring their four-legged friends along from 2pm, with no need to pre-register.
Three dog-loving judges will be putting the entrants through their paces – Richard Nicholson from Warwick Schools Foundation, former high sheriff of Warwickshire Karen Lynch, and Daren Bowye, the master of Lord Leycester Hospital
There are various categories to enter including best dog under two, best vintage dog, waggiest tail and cleverest trick.
Entry costs £2 per class, with every penny going towards the campaign to build a new community centre for the Packmores Estate.
Suzette Aagaard, families and community engagement minister at St Mary’s, said: “As a huge dog lover, I love bringing our dog show to the heart of Warwick and would love to see a great turnout. We’ll have refreshments, dog-themed stalls, fantastic prizes kindly donated by local businesses and, of course, plenty of wagging tails.
“No dog will leave empty-pawed. Please come along for a fun afternoon in the beautiful College Gardens while helping support a fantastic local cause.”
Priory Pools Community Centre recently celebrated reaching a major fundraising milestone after securing a £300,000 grant from The National Lottery Community Fund, taking the total raised to £2.1 million towards the new £2.49 million community centre.
The charity is now completing its contractor tender process and hopes to begin construction in September, subject to securing the final funding needed.
Janette Eslick, trustee and lead fundraiser for Priory Pools Community Centre, added: “We’re incredibly grateful to St Mary’s for their continued support of our project. Their annual dog show has become a fantastic community event and another opportunity to bring people together while raising funds for the new community centre.”
