‘Solving social isolation, one dog walk at a time’

Growing up with dogs, Delphine experienced the love and peace that can come from a connection with animals. Both the nature of hectic London city life and the after-effects of COVID made her aware of the isolation that the older community can face. As God gently drew her into relationship with him, Delphine took action and started CareDogs London, a charity that matches volunteers and their dogs to older people, fostering friendship, community and better mental health.

Early years’ experiences

Delphine grew up in a Catholic home in London. Her mum is from Belgium and her dad from Hong Kong. Catholic school, for her, was more of a cultural experience than one that encouraged a living faith; Christianity wasn’t much more than a bunch of rules and saints’ names to learn.

“I had an awareness that God existed but I just didn’t really believe that he cared enough to be there for me. I had a transactional approach to God and, during some stormy years in my teens, and when I experienced a death in the family, I remember trying to bargain with God: that if he stopped certain situations, I’d go to church.”

Growing up with rescue dogs from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home since the age of nine was a source of comfort and companionship for Delphine. First there was a German-Shepherd cross called Ricko, then terrier-mixes Darcy and Dora.

“Dogs understand you like no human can. I always felt like dogs ‘get me’, and they were friends like no other during those teenage angst moments. They gave me peace.”

Drawn to a living faith 

Dogs continued to be a source of joy for Delphine as she started her career in journalism in her 20s. She continued to live without the Church, but, even though she was busy with work and had decided she had no room for God, she experienced this ache deep inside – a feeling that there must be something more.

In her late 20s, there was another unexpected death in Delphine’s family that started pulling her back to God. She started exploring a life of faith again. Then there was a crux moment when God broke in and Delphine knew he was real: 

“In the summer of 2020 I went to Paris, and my mum suggested I go visit the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. My whole life I’ve suffered from very painful periods, so there is no way I would have gone if I thought it would have coincided with my cycle. I entered the church and went to the altar and said a prayer: ‘I don’t know why I’m here and what I expect from you, but I’m here – is that enough?!’ At that moment, my period started. I freaked out, but from that moment on, I never had a bad period ever again! God sent my period early and got my attention by healing me!”

A business born

Delphine fully gave her heart to Jesus, and started her discipleship journey. She joined a church, and her life changed. She stopped being shy about her Christian convictions.

“My heart was yearning for more fulfillment and purpose. As I saw more in the press about the loneliness epidemic in the UK, from my communion with God came a burning desire to help create community for the lost and lonely.”

Delphine wanted to help people have companionship and dogs find homes, so she did research with the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home and Age Concern and wrote a pitch to the Charity Commission with her idea: a charity to match older people to adopt dogs and volunteers to help walk them. CareDogs was born just before Christmas 2018.

After finding a board of trustees throughout 2019, CareDogs completed six successful dog adoptions but Delphine quickly realised they weren’t reaching the most isolated in society, because those were the people who would not have the means to care for a dog. She knew there had to be a way to have more of an impact.

In 2021 CareDogs pivoted from adoption to befriending, where a local dog owner visits an elderly resident once a week and they walk the dog together, building friendship and community as well as getting out into green spaces for exercise.

One of CareDogs’ first ‘befriendee’ clients was Colin. He was a widower with little community and drove everywhere. Delphine met him at a carers’ group, and when he said he liked dogs, she realised he was a perfect match with volunteer Fiona and her greyhound Ellie. 

Up to this point CareDogs was running on donations and running quiz night fundraisers, and Delphine was still working full time. “Our only overheads were paying for DBS checks for our volunteers and befrienders, and things were going well with six successful pairings. Intergenerational friendships are so special.”

Expansion

Things slowed down when COVID hit, but this galvanised CareDogs to continue its mission as people needed community more than ever. Delphine also adopted a dog and a kitten during COVID: Nola, a Belgian Malinois mix and Dill, a calico cat. It was a season for her to slow down and deepen her faith, pouring herself into reading the Bible and listening to podcasts.

Delphine then found a post-COVID match-funding opportunity, which CareDogs successfully applied for and received in 2022. People gave their time and skills to help out for free, including a consultant who helped them win a big grant so they could hire their first staff member one day per week in 2023: Kate, who is now CareDogs’ charity manager.

“When people are passionate about something they are so generous with time and money without expecting anything in return. Growing a charity and seeing how people are happy to help you unconditionally is an echo of God’s non-transactional love, and it was a very healing environment for me to be in, as it showed me how God loves us. He doesn’t demand anything in return or love you more, or less, due to your performance.”

Delphine sees God as poetically creative with timing. CareDogs was officially registered with the Charity Commission around Christmas 2018, and, five years later, they received their biggest funding yet through the National Lottery (on Delphine’s birthday, 31 January 2025), allowing them to thrive for three more years. 

Reflections and encouragements 

Even though setting up CareDogs was hard work in the early days, Delphine sees God’s hand in it all, sending her the right people, resources and opportunities while also removing the wrong ones.

Growing the charity and her faith were both hard in equal measure, but she acknowledges God’s faithfulness and how much the growing pains were worth it. The timing of CareDogs’ story coincides so beautifully with Delphine’s too, as she enters her fifth year of returning to her Christian faith.

Delphine remains as founder and chair of trustees in a voluntary capacity. This May, CareDogs hired their second staff member (Julia), thanks to funding from the National Lottery’s ‘Reaching Communities’ grant, which has provided more opportunities.  

“We’re excited to grow our one-to-one befriending service in our South London boroughs, as well as our group walk events, which allow even more people to benefit from our service (including those over the age of 18 with disabilities, refugees and carers). We are so passionate to solve social isolation, one dog walk at a time!” 

Delphine encourages any readers who would like to start a charity not to be discouraged by a lack of knowledge at the beginning. “I had no idea what I was doing, but just asked people ‘Would you be willing to help me?’ You’ll be surprised by people’s responses. When you identify a need and God gives you a nudge to meet it, he really does provide the right people and resources.”