A CHARITY which helps to provide support dogs for blind people in South Somerset has is dancing with joy after receiving a cheque for £7,000.

The Chard, Ilminster and Crewkerne branch of Guide Dogs for the Blind picked up a big charity cheque from fundraiser Roy Warry recently.

Roy is a teacher at Strictly Jive, and was hoping to raise £5,000 so his team could name a guided dog puppy.

The class exceeded expectations, and have now given £7,000 to the branch so far this year.

Sue Marks, from Guide Dogs, said: “The name they have chosen is Jiver.

“They will get to meet the puppy when it has been with its puppy walker for a few months.

“Very exciting for them. Roy is a great supporter of Guide Dogs and he held a huge event at Westlands on his birthday this year and donated all the money to Guide Dogs.”

Sue’s branch also organised a fashionable fundraiser recently.

They held a charity catwalk at M and Co.

Sue added: “We raised £700 with the fashion show we held recently in Crewkerne.

“It was a good day out and we had a hundred people there.

“A lot of people that were doing the modelling were my friends, so there were things of every shape and size there.”

Last year, the branch raised a record £22,000, with help from the local Sainsbury’s store.