A future service dog has been named Bigbury after the community raised more than £40,000 for charity.

Bigbury Golf Club member John Bower has been raising funds for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People for the last 10 years.

To honour the achievement the charity named a black Labrador puppy after the village.

David Robson, from the charity, said: “The support that we have received from John Bower and Bigbury Golf Club over the years has been phenomenal and has gone a long way in helping us to train more life-changing hearing dogs.

“We were honoured to name one of our cute puppies Bigbury as a small gesture of thanks for this support.

“Hearing dogs help deaf people to leave loneliness behind and reconnect with life, through the love, companionship and emotional support they provide.

“They’re also highly trained to alert deaf people to life-saving sounds, such as the smoke alarm, which can keep their deaf partners safe, so they are an invaluable means of support for people.

“A huge thanks to John and everyone who has taken part in Bigbury Golf Club’s fundraisers - we wouldn’t be able to continue training these life-changing dogs without their wonderful support.”

Marlene Johnson, from Bigbury Golf Club, said: “We hear that Bigbury is a lively and intelligent chap who is taking very well to his basic training attending puppy classes.

“The specialist training will continue until he is a year old and on completion, Bigbury will become both a valuable helper and great companion for a deaf person.”