A GUIDE dog owner from Hereford is walking the distance from Land’s End to John O’Groats in aid of sight loss charity Guide Dogs.

Alec Hocking and guide dog Quinka will be walking 874 miles in Herefordshire by December 1, meaning they will have walked the equivalent mileage from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

“The challenge started on June 1st and I’ve already completed 300 miles," Alec said.

“I walk five miles every day around Herefordshire, with Quinka guiding me.

“We’re both enjoying the challenge and Quinka gets excited when it’s time to go out for a walk.”

Quinka is Alec’s second guide dog and they were partnered just before lockdown measures were introduced in March.

Alec added: “Having a guide dog to support me brings out my confidence. Quinka is my best friend, I do everything with her.

“The support Guide Dogs has given me, especially during the coronavirus outbreak, has been brilliant, and completing this challenge is my way of saying thank you to the charity.”

During the coronavirus pandemic, Guide Dogs has provided additional advice and support online and over the phone for people living with sight loss, like Alec.

Alec has a four-year-old daughter and he hopes that doing this challenge will inspire and motivate her in the future, but also show her that living with sight loss doesn’t have to stop you achieving personal goals.

Jane Shelley, community fundraising relationship manager, said: “We’d like to say a big thank you to Alec, and Quinka, for taking on this walking challenge and raising money for Guide Dogs.

“It costs over £55,000 to support a guide dog from birth to retirement and Guide Dogs relies almost entirely on public donations. Without support from people like Alec, we wouldn’t be able to provide our life-changing services to people living with sight loss.”

Click here to visit Alec's Just Giving page and to support his challenge.