A NEWPORT church has raised more than £5,500 for Guide Dogs Cymru.

The money raised by St Julian's Parish Church is enough to sponsor three puppies.

Following their efforts, fundraisers at St Julian’s Parish Church were treated to a visit from a VIP – a Very Important Puppy - earlier this month.

Aaron, a seven-month-old guide dog puppy, was blessed and sprinkled with holy water during Harvest Mass on Sunday, October 2.

The blessing coincided with the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, which commemorates the patron saint of animals.

Church members had been looking forward to the visit after raising a total of £5,558 for Guide Dogs Cymru.

Father David Matthews said: “Exactly a year ago I blessed our first guide dog puppy, a Labrador retriever named Julius.

“By then, we had raised enough to name a second pup, Aaron, and decided we would make Guide Dogs our parish project for the whole year that followed. "We’ve now raised enough to name a third puppy and follow its progress right through training.”

Father David praised the local community for its response to the fundraising project, co-ordinated by church stalwart Beryl Morgan, 76.

“We had events like a sponsored walk, a coffee morning and a cheese and wine tasting, and many people simply dropped off their small change,” said Mr Morgan.

“We have blind and partially sighted people members among the congregation for whom this project has special meaning.

"We’ve blessed Aaron so that he can go out into the world and be a blessing for someone else.”