IWD: Dogged determination results in 25 years of charity service for Katie

Among those is training manager Katie Burns, who celebrates 25 years with the Yorkshire-based good cause this year – starting out as a volunteer.

Speaking during International Women’s Day, she remembers it took her three attempts of sending a speculative letter at the age of 18, asking for any volunteering or employment opportunities, before she received a reply.

But that persistence paid off – and she has now trained dozens of assistance dogs to support autistic children, as well as adults with epilepsy or a physical ability, and now she oversees the next generation of dog trainers and instructors.

Katie, who is Rotherham-born-and-bred, grew up with dogs and following A-Levels and ruling out a desire to go to university, she always knew she wanted to combine her passion for dogs with a need to help people.

It was while attending a training class with her family’s pet bull mastiff, Chantelle, that she became aware of Support Dogs.

She wrote a letter to the charity, which at that point was based at High Green in Sheffield and was ran by founder Val Strong, with support from volunteers Rita Howson (the charity’s current chief executive) and Natasha Ellis (current deputy training manager) and a couple of admin and fundraisers.

As a volunteer, she observed the trainers, who “at that time did every single part of the role,” recalls Katie. “Sourcing dogs, training teams, doing after-cares and more.”

It’s a huge contrast to today – the charity has around 45 members of staff at its base in Brightside, Sheffield, with roles varying from administration, to fundraisers, trainers, instructors and client services, bolstered by an army of around 200 volunteers.

After six months, Katie joined the payroll – “I was absolutely thrilled,” said Katie, who is married to Jamie, a driving instructor.

She fondly recalls Louise and Archie, one of the first seizure alert partnerships she trained.

The charity’s seizure alert dogs are trained to give a 100 per cent accurate warning up to an hour before an oncoming seizure – Support Dogs is the only UK charity to offer this training.

“As we started to grow, I specialised in training seizure alert dogs,” said Katie.

“It still gives me goosebumps to be associated with such life-saving dogs.

“Someone with epilepsy’s life can be so debilitated – they can’t do simple things like make a cup of tea or have a bath alone - without this alert.

“For a dog to be able to give a warning of something that can put you in a situation that could kill you – I will always get my buzz, it’s truly amazing.”

Katie spent around 13 years as a trainer and then instructor before progressing to training manager.

She has a son, Oliver, aged nine, and, like millions of others, has had to juggle motherhood with work.

But she said: “Support Dogs’ flexible approach to work has no doubt helped me so much. It’s all about finding that balance.”

According to the World Economic Forum, at the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity.

But Support Dogs is doing all it can to help narrow the gap, with flexible working and menopause champions among the incentives helping to ensure its workforce can excel.

As a manager, Katie is proud to have introduced more strategic ways of working, tightening up policies, introducing information sessions to streamline the application process and ultimately improving the client experience.

“Advancing things, seeing how we can grow and help more people and get better at what we do were always my main aims,” added Katie.

She added that she strives to “get people to excel”.

Support Dogs has bought a warehouse in Hillsborough, with ambitions to convert it into a purpose-built national training centre of excellence and more than treble the amount of dogs its trains.

Katie can’t wait – she said: “My main aim for the new building is to have unique areas that are customised to our specific needs. It’s so exciting.”

She still pinches herself to be in her dream job: “I am lucky. We change lives and I love what we’re all about. I’m passionate about what we do, without a doubt. There’s nobody like us.”

Katie had this advice for any girls and young women starting out in the world of work: “Get as much experience as you can. Observe people and go into organisations like ours.

“It’s hard work but will give you an insight as to what to expect.

“And don’t stop – because if I’d have stopped with my first letter, I wouldn’t be here now.”

To find out more about the work of Support Dogs, please visit www.supportdogs.org.uk or call 0114 2617800.