Ref: PR1989
Date: 29/10/08

Wakefield Council has teamed up with Guide Dogs for the Blind to promote healthier and safer travel.

The Council's school travel plan team and the charity will tour schools to promote the work the charity does as well as walking safely to school.

Pat Garbutt, Wakefield Council's cabinet member for children and young people, said: "This is a great way of promoting walking safely to school and also highlighting the good work of Guide Dogs for the Blind.

"Together we can educate young people and make walking fun, while promoting healthier lifestyles too."

Speakers from Guide Dogs for the Blind will be presenting assemblies at four Ossett schools including Dimple Well Infants and South Ossett Infants on November 10, St Ignatius Catholic Primary on November 12 and Southdale Juniors on November 13.

The charity's puppy walkers and their dogs will then be meeting walkers and 'park and striders' from the four schools at Green Park, Ossett and walking with them to school on November 20 from 8.15am.

Sue Richardson, puppy walking manager for Guide Dogs for the Blind, said: "The scheme works on a number of levels. As well as promoting Guide Dogs as an organisation, it develops young children's understanding of the importance of the work of the dog and blindness in general. The scheme also allows the pups to get used to being around children and noise."

The scheme has already been piloted at two schools in the district, Glasshoughton Infants and Stanley St Peters, and proved a massive success and pupils at Glasshoughton Infants also became involved in raising sponsorship for the charity through an own clothes day.

Ends.