COACH company National Express, which runs daily services from Worcester city centre, has presented £10,000 to assistance dog’s charity Canine Partners to mark national puppy day on March 23.

The gift is part of a wider partnership, which also includes free travel to people training assistance puppies to familiarise them with public transport and fundraising in coach stations. It forms a key element of National Express’s "Military Promise", a commitment to support people in the Armed Forces.

The money was handed over by the company's military project leader Roz Golds, who lives in St John's Worcester. She said: "It’s fantastic that our customers have so generously helped us support Canine Partners with this really wonderful donation and we are so pleased that it will go towards supporting people who need it the most. We’re really proud of our Military Promise and our partnership with Canine Partners, which supports a whole range of people from different backgrounds, including people who have been injured in service, is a key part of this.”

The windfall comes after travellers reached the major milestone after the UK’s largest coach company included the option to donate £1 to Canine Partners, which welcomes applications from Worcestershire, when booking a ticket online. People giving up their time to look after the puppies are eligible to travel free with their young dog to and from any of approximately 1,000 National Express stops across the UK.