Fundraising ‘legend’, 90, honoured after decades of volunteering for Hearing Dogs charity
SPECIAL RECOGNITION: Dave Thompson receives his award from East Riding Council leader Anne Handley
By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor
A Hull man who has raised £200,000 for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People over more than 30 years has been honoured with a special award.
Dave Thompson, 90, had been nominated for a long service award having been a dedicated fundraiser for the charity since 1992. But judges at the HEY Smile Foundation’s Time2Volunteer Awards decided he deserved better and instead gave him the Special Recognition Award.
After retiring as an overseas engineer for Smith & Nephew, Mr Thompson began fundraising after his late daughter, Denise, brought home a Christmas card bearing the Hearing Dogs logo. Denise, who went deaf between the ages of eight and 11, was later partnered with her own hearing dog, a black spaniel named Jude.
Together with his late wife Sheila, daughter Denise, and a local hairdresser, Dave founded the Hull Fundraising Group for the charity. He has since delivered over 1,200 talks about Hearing Dogs across the county – as well as two while on holiday in Iceland and Italy – raising a staggering £200,000 for the charity.
Now in their sixth year, the HEY Smile Foundation’s Time2Volunteer Awards recognise and celebrate all volunteers throughout the Humber region, saying thank you to those who give their time to help others.
Mr Thompson was nominated for the Long Serving Volunteer category of the awards by fellow Hearing Dogs volunteer Maureen Poulton, but judges felt his achievements deserved special recognition.
Maureen said: “For over thirty years he has initiated, masterminded and run fundraising events for the charity. If not actually organising or being present at an event, he would be taking enquiries or looking for future potential opportunities for fundraising.
“Dave’s name is synonymous with Hearing Dogs throughout the area. Apparently, after attending one of his talks while visiting Hull, a lady from New Zealand was interested in setting up a similar group where she lived. Not knowing how to contact Dave, she addressed her envelope ‘Dave Thompson, The Dog Man, Hull’. It was safely delivered to him by Royal Mail!”
Mr Thompson was presented with his award at a ceremony held at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Hull on October 3.
“It came as a total surprise to have won the Special Recognition Award,” Mr Thompson said. “I’ve enjoyed every minute of my fundraising for Hearing Dogs and met some fantastic people along the way.”
The judges said: “It was an absolute pleasure to have Dave here today, and to witness his passion and unwavering commitment firsthand. His award is so richly deserved, and the crowd’s heartfelt response was a true testament to that.”
Victoria Leedham, head of volunteering at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, said: “Dave Thompson is an absolute legend at the charity. He’s the original storyteller and despite personal tragedy and ill health in recent years, remains positive, witty and upbeat, and is personally responsible for generating many thousands of pounds for the charity.”
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is a national charity that trains dogs to help deaf people leave loneliness behind and reconnect with life. The dogs do this through constant companionship and emotional support, giving deaf people the confidence to reconnect with their family, friends and community around them. They also help by alerting deaf people to important and life-saving sounds like smoke alarms, alarm clocks and oven timers. Their burgundy coats signal to the public that their partner is deaf.