A GUIDE dog named Luke has been sponsored and trained in memory of local resident Luke Harvey, following a successful fundraising effort supported by family, friends, and community members.

Luke Harvey, who passed away in a car accident in April 2023, was a former Chew Valley Rugby Club player and student, remembered fondly by family, friends, and the local community.

The family chose to support Guide Dogs for the Blind as the cause held personal significance to them — they own two Labradors, Max and Harry, chosen by Luke and his brother Kyle, and Luke’s grandfather is partially sighted.

The family said the combination of these factors, along with Luke’s caring and compassionate nature, made the charity a fitting way to honour his memory.

The family have also dedicated a memorial bench at Salt and Malt, the fish and chip restaurant overlooking Chew Valley Lake, a place Luke loved to visit to enjoy the views and sunsets.

Although the family were not able to choose the puppy, they were “delighted” to learn that a black Labrador had been selected and named Luke. The puppy was born in March 2025 and will now begin his training to become a guide dog.

The family have expressed their gratitude to all who contributed towards the fundraising effort, including Luke’s school and college friends, players and parents from Chew Valley Rugby Club, where Luke played and his brother Kyle continues to be a member, as well as friends of Luke’s grandparents, Michael and Maureen Rowe, who made donations to Guide Dogs in lieu of gifts for their 60th wedding anniversary in September 2024.

Through the sponsorship, the family hope that Luke’s name will live on by helping to transform someone’s life through the independence that a guide dog provides.