A YOUNG Brierley Hill woman will host a fundraiser to support the charity that gave her a loyal companion.

Before she got her assistance dog, Demi Shakespeare felt that her disability defined who she was.

The 24-year-old, who has cerebral palsy and suffers from Raynaud's syndrome, was reliant on her mum for support and believed that people rarely saw beyond her wheelchair.

"I felt like people would talk over me and I was quite withdrawn and lacked confidence," she said.

But that all changed when Dogs for Good - a charity that trains assistance dogs to work alongside people with disabilities and autism - paired her with Bumble the black Labrador in 2008.

"Bumble is a great ice breaker and has really opened up my friendship network," Demi said.

"I'm much more confident now and in 2014, I completed my degree counselling psychology degree - I couldn't have done that without Bumble.

"She's so intelligent, she picks things up if I drop then, can open doors, press access buttons and even helps me to take my gloves off.”

Demi, who works for a mental health charity, is an avid fundraiser for Dogs for Good and has raised thousands of pounds for the charity over the years.

She hopes people will support her latest fundraiser, which will be held at the Oakfield Community Centre, in Brettell Lane, from 1.30pm to 7.30pm on September 2.

The event will feature a craft fair, cake sale, raffle, children's games, a face painter and people will also get the opportunity to meet Bumble.

"It is so rewarding knowing that all the effort myself and Bumble put in together will eventually change someone’s life in the way that Bumble did for me,” Demi added.