Today, we were incredibly lucky to welcome the wonderful Guide Dogs charity to Trawden Forest for a very special visit.

Our visitors included volunteers Jackie, Katie, Rita and Stewart, along with some very important four-legged guests! We met Lilibet, Jackie’s seven-year-old Golden Retriever and Guide Dogs ambassador, Pop, a ten-month-old Golden Labrador who is currently training to become a guide dog, and Bobby, the Guide Dogs mascot.

The visit began with a fantastic whole-school assembly where we learnt all about the important work carried out by Guide Dogs. The children discovered what life is like for a working guide dog, how puppies are trained and some important dos and don’ts to remember when we see a guide dog working.

After the assembly, Year 4 were treated to an extra special interactive session. Working in small groups, the children rotated around a range of activities designed to help them understand some of the challenges a person with a vision impairment may experience in everyday life.

The activities included leading a blindfolded partner safely, identifying coins by touch, carefully filling a cup with water, pairing different types of socks, completing jigsaws and exploring a range of equipment used by people with sight loss.

Of course, there was also plenty of time to meet Lilibet and Pop, who were both on their very best behaviour! The children loved learning more about the dogs, their personalities and the incredible training involved in preparing a dog for such an important role.

It was a brilliant, hands-on session which helped the children develop their understanding, empathy and awareness while having lots of fun at the same time.

A huge thank you to Jackie, Katie, Rita and Stewart for giving up their time to visit us, share their knowledge and provide such a memorable experience for our children. We would also like to thank Lilibet, Pop and Bobby for being such fantastic visitors!

You can find out more about the amazing work of Guide Dogs on their official website:

Guide Dogs UK: https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/

Guide Dog Assembly - Sept 26