More than 100 dog owners took their pets to Belvoir Castle last weekend to raise money to help deaf people.

The Great British Dog Walk on Sunday saw dogs and owners completing a fun-filled walk to raise money for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, a charity which helps deaf people reconnect with life.

The grounds of the estate were filled with people and their four-legged friends of all shapes and sizes, walking either a short 3km route or a longer 8km scenic route.

The Great British Dog Walk is a series of 15 sponsored walks throughout the country. Walk start times were staggered to maximise safety for the walkers, with a virtual option also available to those who could not make it on the day.

Over 140 people and 100 of their VIPs (very important pups) attended the walk, with the latter all sporting fabulous limited-edition charity bandanas.

Their participation will raise funds to help Hearing Dogs for Deaf People train more dogs to alert deaf people to important and life-saving sounds and help them leave behind loneliness by providing constant emotional support and companionship.

It costs around £40,000 to fully train and support a hearing dog for the duration of its life and Hearing Dogs for Deaf People receives no central government funding, so The Great British Dog Walk is a valuable way of raising awareness and funds to help the charity continue its life-changing work.

Vicky Ryan, Hearing Dogs community fundraising manager for the region, said: "We were really impressed with how many people from Leicestershire and from further afield showed up to enjoy The Great British Dog Walk.

"These walks were postponed twice in the past 18 months so seeing people and dogs enjoying themselves outdoors whilst supporting our work was absolutely wonderful."

Vicky continued: "Every walker will directly help us to train more dogs to change the lives of deaf people, so we greatly appreciate the support they showed us by coming along.

"We had people there with and without dogs and there was such a great community feel, with everyone coming together to walk for a good cause."

For more information about the Great British Dog Walk and how people can get involved with Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, visit www.hearingdogs.org.uk.