A Camborne opticians has smashed its target of £5,000 to fund its very own guide dog puppy.

Staff at Camborne Specsavers will be meeting the puppy for the first time on Friday, when the trainer will bring the dog in to the store.

The store started its fundraising campaign at the beginning of last year, raising cash through a series of fundraising events, including a race night at Redruth Club where horses were sponsored by nine Specsavers stores in the area.

Store director, Alan Honeybone, says: ‘Guide dogs provide an invaluable service within the community so we’re very proud to have finally reached our target and raised enough to really benefit someone who has been affected by loss of sight.

‘Guide Dogs for the Blind has allowed us to name the new puppy and after much consideration we have chosen Freyja, a goddess in Norse mythology, whose watchmen could see 100 miles in every direction by day or night. Specsavers will be supporting the dog all the way to qualification with its new owner.’

Jessica Stickland from Guide Dogs for the Blind, said: "We’re truly grateful to Camborne Specsavers for doing such an amazing job in fundraising for a puppy. We receive no government funding so fully rely on support like this and all fundraising is hugely appreciated." 

The Camborne Specsavers store has raised the money to fund a guide dog puppy as part of Specsavers wider initiative to raise £25,000 to support 25 puppies from training to qualification, in celebration of 25 years of business.