AFTER years of giving back to a charity that helped transform his life, Alan Fletcher has been crowned Guide Dog’s Volunteer of the Year.

The former BMW engineer from Stratton St Margaret has been registered blind since 2005 and since then, he has dedicated his time to helping others gain their independence back with the assistance of a canine companion.

Alan, the former chairman of the Swindon Guide Dogs group, was first inspired to get involved with the charity after his first dog Joy gave him a new lease of life and over the years, the 69-year-old has helped raise more than half a million pounds.

“Joy got me out on my own and increased my confidence and independence but she also gave my wife Shirley her independence back as well,” Alan said.

“You can talk to a dog but you can’t talk to a white cane and I hate using them. Having Joy the first time made me want to get involved with Guide Dogs and help them.

“It is an honour for me but it is an honour that I wanted to do. I’ve always wanted to give back. This award is an honour for my wife Shirley because there are lots of things she has done over the years in getting things together for me, taking me to places but this award is also for the branch members as well. I couldn’t do it all on my own.

“I was over the moon to hear I had won the volunteer of the year award. You do these things because you want to do them and so it is nice to get that recognition.”

After his beloved Joy died back in 2013, Alan soon launched the 4JoyAppeal, in a bid to train more puppies to become seeing eye dogs.

Within 18 months, he managed to raise a staggering £50,000 after gaining the support of thousands of people across the town.

Guide Dogs held their People Awards earlier this month at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole to recognise and celebrate the devotion of its staff and volunteers.

While Alan, who is supported by his golden Labrador and Retriever cross dog Nutmeg, was unable to attend the glittering ceremony in person, he recorded a video message thanking those who helped him win an award in the passionate and determined category but also the title of volunteer of the year.

“It is a bit of a cliché but the charity has given me both my guide dogs and I wanted to give something back because they had given me so much,” he said. “I was without a guide dog from the time I was registered to the time I got Joy and she completely changed my life.

“Guide dogs are tailored for your individual needs and when we got Nutmeg, it felt like I got my life back again.

“The thing that has amazed me over the years is how generous people are.

“When we launched the memory fund for Joy, we managed to raise £50,000 in less than 18 months and that was done by people donating money. We had so many groups send up proceeds because many had met Joy and they wanted to help.

“This award is recognition I never thought I would get and never went looking for but it is a great honour to have.”

Alan hopes to take the opportunity to encourage others to follow in his footsteps in helping Guide Dogs by becoming volunteer puppy walkers.

To find out more, call 0345 1430227 or email southampton@guidedogs.org.uk