MEDIA RELEASE

Dog friendly award winning pub forms partnership with Guide Dogs for the Blind and invites customers to help name the puppy!

Customers visiting The Queens Arms, Corton Denham, already know the reputation this fabulous 18^thcentury country inn has for being a particularly dog friendly pub from the sign proclaiming "Dogs and Muddy Boots Welcome". Also visitors are welcome to bring their well-behaved dogs to stay in one of the pub's comfortable ground floor rooms, underlining The Queens Arms' philosophy of extending more than a cursory welcome to man's best friend.

Owners Jeanette and Gordon Reid are not only keen dog lovers, but also while working on improvements to the pub to ensure its accessibility for all, decided to form a partnership with the popular charity Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Jeanette explains, "Customers will be invited to donate and suggest names for the pub's very own sponsored guide dog. Once a name has been decided upon the pub will receive personalised updates and photos of "The Queens puppy" throughout its first year until it enters one of the charity's National Training Schools. The chosen puppy will even come and visit the pub and meet some of its fans and supporters."

Victoria Noyce-Guthrie, Community Fundraiser for Guide Dogs for the Blind Dorset and Wiltshire region said, ""We are very grateful to The Queen's Arms for choosing us as their Charity of the Year for 2015/16. The money they raise will really help us continue to provide our life changing support we give to people living with sight loss. The guide dog service receives no government or lottery funding and each guide dog costs approx. £50k throughout its working lifetime. We can only maintain this service through donations from the public and companies, such as The Queen's Arms. We look forward to working in partnership with the Queen's Arms throughout the coming year and we hope to hear the pitter-patter of paws from their very own guide dog puppy in the near future."

The Queens Arms is in the perfect location for families with dogs as from the front door of the pub there are a variety of walks through the stunning countryside with varying levels of difficulty and length. A particular favourite takes in walks on two ridgelines dropping down to the village of South Cadbury and taking in the historic Cadbury Castle hill fort, the legendary home of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. For those wanting to make a weekend of it, there are two famous walks: both the Macmillan Way and the Leyland Way offer superb varied terrain, crossing hills and looking across the Somerset levels toward Glastonbury Tor. A wide range of thirst quenching ales, cider, wines and spirits await the tired traveller and plenty of fresh water in designated dog bowls is supplied for four legged visitors.

For more information, contact The Queens Arms, T/: 01963 220317 or E/:relax@thequeensarms.comor visit:www.thequeensarms.com

Press information and high res images available from Jane Adkins, A Head for PR, T/: 01935 813114 or E/:jane@aheadforpr.co.uk

For more about the services Guide Dogs offer or volunteering opportunities, please visitwww.guidedogs.org.uk.

Editor's notes

The Queens Arms is situated at the heart of the ancient village of Corton Denham, nestling on the Somerset / Dorset border just north of Sherborne. Surrounded by stunning countryside, this late 18th Century British pub with rooms will delight those in search of good drink, good food and real comfort. Awarded Silver in the Best Tourism Pub and B&B/Accommodation categories in the South West Tourism Awards 2014-15, and awarded Taste of Somerset Best Pub 2013, the Queens Arms also has 2 AA Rosettes for its food offering, CAMRA 2012 Cider Pub of the Year and National Best Freehouse in the 2012 Awards. The 8 ensuite letting rooms have also received AA 5 star Inn rating.July 2015 (Queens Arms 05)