MP for Epping Forest, Shadow DEFRA Minister and veterinary surgeon, Dr Neil Hudson, visited the Guide Dogs South East regional training centre in Woodford Green recently to meet staff, volunteers, and service users, including Penny Hefferan, and to see first-hand the charity’s expert work preparing future guide dogs for their life-changing roles.
The Woodford Green site underwent a major redevelopment in 2021, the charity’s first new building in 15 years, and now serves as the regional training centre for the South East. At any one time, around 75 dogs are being trained there, each learning the essential skills needed to support people with sight loss. These include navigating busy streets, avoiding obstacles, locating crossing buttons, identifying suitable seating, and supporting their future owners in everyday life.
Guide dogs begin formal training at around 14 months old, usually qualifying as working guide dogs by the age of two. Throughout this period, volunteer fosterers play a vital role by providing loving temporary homes for the dogs while they attend weekday training sessions.
During his visit, Dr Hudson learned more about the charity’s foster home scheme, which is seeking additional volunteers within a five‑mile radius of Redbridge, including parts of Epping Forest. Fosterers drop dogs at the training centre Monday to Friday, much like a school run, before enjoying evenings and weekends with the dog as part of their household.
Dr Hudson also toured the centre’s impressive facilities, including indoor and outdoor training areas, a multi‑use hub for community events and volunteer engagement, and sensory gardens designed with accessible features for people with visual impairments and other disabilities.
As the first veterinary surgeon elected to the House of Commons since 1884, Dr Hudson has long championed animal welfare and equal access for assistance dog users. He has worked closely with Guide Dogs UK and other organisations to highlight the ongoing issue of unfair access refusals, which remain illegal yet still occur across the country. Last year, he joined a coalition of assistance dog providers and service users to celebrate the vital support these dogs offer people with a wide range of medical conditions, including epilepsy and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS).
Member of Parliament for Epping Forest, Shadow DEFRA Minister and veterinary surgeon, Dr Neil Hudson, said:
“Guide Dogs is an extraordinary organisation, and seeing the dedication of the staff, volunteers and fosterers at the Woodford Green Centre was truly inspiring. As an MP and vet, I am proud to support this brilliant charity. These amazing dogs transform lives, giving people with sight loss independence, confidence and freedom.”
“The foster home scheme is a wonderful opportunity for local people to play a direct role in that journey. I would encourage anyone living nearby to consider getting involved. It is rewarding, impactful, and makes a real difference to someone’s future.”
Guide Dogs Lived Experience Voice Officer, Penny Hefferan, said:
“I’ve been incredibly fortunate to share my life with several guide dogs over the years, and each partnership has given me the confidence and independence to overcome many barriers faced by someone with sight loss.
“For a dog in training, having the chance to live with a family while learning the skills they need to become a guide dog makes a huge difference. The Fosterers I’ve met often tell me how rewarding it is to play a part in a dog’s journey and to know they are helping to change someone’s life in the future.”
“As someone who has directly benefited from their kindness and commitment, I can’t express how grateful I am for everything they do.”
