Trailblazing woman receives prestigious Prince's Trust recognition at Crufts

By Abi Curran at the NEC Birmingham

An inspirational Manchester business owner has been recognised for her outstanding work training hundreds of assistance dogs across the UK.

Laura Wild, who set up Wild Spirit Canines in 2021, was surprised by Crufts Channel 4 presenter Sophie Morgan live on TV with the Prince’s Trust Natwest Enterprise Award.

The Prince’s Trust and TK Maxx & Homesense Awards recognise young people who have succeeded against the odds, improved their chances in life and had a positive impact on their local community.

The 25-year-old from Stockport fell ill with chronic fatigue syndrome at 19 and was diagnosed with autism six months later, leading her to train ‘soulmate’ Golden Retriever Summer as her own assistance dog.

Wild has grown her business from strength to strength in three years and capped off her weekend with a third-place finish alongside Curly-Coated Retriever Ember at Crufts.

She said: “It was a big shock considering I thought I was talking about Curly-Coated Retrievers on Channel 4.

“I’m very surprised the Prince’s Trust managed to keep it a secret, it’s wonderful.

“It’s lovely to come here and celebrate it with all of the people but also to see so many of our clients walking around and being able to meet with them all in one place, it’s been lovely to experience that.

“When I was training Summer by myself there were no organisations to support me or if there were they were very few and far between, they were too far away to access or too expensive.

“I wanted to help people who are like me, most of our demographic are in higher education who are autistic or have different disabilities that intertwine which is our lived experience.”

TK Maxx and Homesense (TJX) have been a partner of The Prince’s Trust since 2013 and are one of The Trust’s largest delivery partners of the Get into Retail programme. This is a two-to-six-week course that develops young people’s skills in the retail sector and supports them into positive outcomes in retail.

TJX have also supported the Prince’s Trust Achieve programme since 2016, working with schools across the UK to build the confidence and teamwork skills of young people as they prepare for life after education.

Youth charity The Prince's Trust gives young people the skills and confidence to get their lives on track. Three in four young people helped by The Prince’s Trust move into work, training or education.

Wild holds fond memories of Crufts and credits her confidence rise to the dog show since her first visit four years ago.

She added: “It’s a particularly heart-warming place for me because the first time I came here was in 2020 and Summer was only just an adult.

“It was the first time I had ever stayed anywhere away from home, it was a massive leap of independence.

“To come here again four years later and do this, I don’t think my past self would have even believed it.”

Crufts, run by The Kennel Club, is a unique celebration of happy, healthy dogs and of the loving relationship that they enjoy with their owners. Crufts is held from 7-10 March 2024 at the NEC Birmingham. Viewers can follow all the action and highlights on Channel 4, and for further information and tickets visit: http://crufts.org.uk