On Friday 19^th July, part of the Back Bar in Keswick transformed from a pub into a professional pet photography studio as locals and visitors were invited to bring their four-legged friends inside to snap a picture paw-fect shot of their best friend.

The ‘pup-up’ studio which was hosted by Lake District Hotels in collaboration with Olive Paw Photography was used as an opportunity for dog owners to acquire a unique, professional image of their pooch to keep as a memento of their visit; all whilst raising money for charity.

Benefiting from the event was Keswick Youth Centre Services (KYCS), Lake District Hotels’ Charity of the Year for 2024. A total of £50 was raised for the charity over the afternoon whose mission is to ensure the youth of Keswick and surrounding areas have access to a safe space, engaging activities and mentorship opportunities.

“It was a fantastic experience working with Lake District Hotels to help raise funds for Keswick Youth Centre Services” said Dave Forknall of Olive Paw Photography. “I loved meeting all the dogs plus their humans and knowing my work is helping a local charity is truly heartwarming.”

With plenty of treats and squeaky toys to hand, the studio opened at 11am and welcomed pre-booked guests and walk-ins throughout the afternoon. Knowing all the tricks of the trade, Olive Paw Photography successfully captured a one-of-a-kind image of every model on the day within the 10-minute slots.

Gary Lovatt, Trustee of KYCS “We are truly grateful for Lake District Hotels’ continuous support and love seeing all the innovative ideas they come up with to raise funds for KYCS – my Labradors especially enjoyed this one! Every penny really does count.”

Dani Hope, Director of Lake District Hotels told us “Our hotel residents loved the opportunity to take their dog to a pop-up studio during their stay. We had visitors from all three of our Keswick hotels book slots on the day.”

“We work with Dave of Olive Paw Photography each December as part of our Christmas dog walk which is also in aid of our Charity of the Year, so it was great to collaborate during a warmer time of the year.”

For more information on Lake District Hotels’ current and previous fundraising activities please visit www.lakedistricthotels.net/charity-of-the-year