Mum helps others after assistance dog changed life for her autistic son
WATCH: Hayley Kirby-Bulner tells ITV Meridian how her assistance dogs have helped to change the lives of families in the South
Providing assistance dogs to families of children with autism has earned a woman from Andover a nomination in this year's ITV Meridian's Pride of Britain Regional Fundraiser of the Year Award.
Hayley Kirby-Bulner runs T.A.Ps - which stands for Together Anything is Pawsible - a charity which helps to purchase and train dogs, before placing them with families whose children need extra support.
The charity currently has 13 assistance dogs either already placed with families or in training.
Hayley came up with the idea for T.A.Ps in 2018, after paying for a dog called Fern to be trained for her son, Mancub, who has autism.
The red spaniel puppy instantly clicked with Mancub, who at the time, was non-verbal and didn't show his emotions.
Hayley said: "When she came home and Mancub saw her, he just instantly changed and his little face lit up and he just showed some emotion. He started interacting with her and they were following each other around.
"It was just so incredible to see because prior to that, he had just sat in a corner and hadn't wanted interaction or eye contact.
"The changes were just instant and they were huge."
It takes around two years to train a dog from when they a puppy through to adulthood, which T.A.Ps tries to tailor to the individual children's needs.
Specialist teaching means the dogs can learn how to calm autistic children and prevent meltdowns, or create bubbles of space around the child when out shopping or in stressful situations with large numbers of people around.
They can also provide companionship and strong bonds for children who can struggle to make friends.
Since the charity was founded, Hayley has raised more than £100,000.
Training an assistance dog costs £15,000. Hayley had to use the money her late father left her in his will to train Fern for Mancub - and it made her realise that the cost is out of reach for many families.
She said: "I just wanted to give that to other families too, because the training is so expensive but you can't put a price on what these dogs do for you."
WATCH: Hayley explains how Mancub's assistance dog, Fern, came into their lives
To fundraise, Hayley sells embroidered sweatshirts, jackets, rucksacks and purses, which Mancub helps to create.
They also make pictures and pens using sea glass, which they sell online.
The charity has also built a community among the families that use the assistance dogs.
The dogs take part in regular joint training sessions with the other T.A.P families and the mums also share an online support group.
Hayley said: "The dogs can help in many different ways.
"A lot of the children don't like to go out of the house on their own and they feel rather overwhelmed. Even just having a dog by their side can bring them much more confidence.
"They can help stop behaviours that are unwanted, they provide companionship and can provide support around the house as well.
"I always burst with pride when one of the families tells me how much one of the dogs is helping."
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The Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards celebrate the unsung heroes who go above and beyond to make their communities and the country a better place.
Nominated by the public, the winners come from all walks of life, of all ages, and from all over the country.
They will come together with stars from television for a glittering ceremony in London, broadcast on ITV.
Among them will be two fundraising finalists from the Meridian region, picked from a shortlist of inspiring nominees.
We showcase the work of shortlisted nominees in our 6pm programme - and finalists are chosen by a panel including a celebrity judge from the region.