Pupils at Bolnore Village School in West Sussex will get the chance to follow a class of puppies under the Guide Dogs Puppy Graduation Scheme. The children will be able to follow guide dog puppies Libby, Barrie and Bolt from 7 weeks old to when they complete their formal training at Guide Dogs, thanks to local housebuilder David Wilson Homes.
The housebuilder, who is building its Wychwood Park development just over a mile from the school, has sponsored a Guide Dogs “Puppy Graduation Scheme” to help pupils understand sight loss. To hear how life changing a guide dog is to someone with little or no sight, pupils were treated to a special assembly this week, where they received a talk from Richard Foot, a guide dog owner with his guide dog Annie.
Lynnette St-Quintin, Sales and Marketing Director for David Wilson Southern Counties, comments: “We are really pleased to be able to work with Bolnore Village School on this project, as part of our ongoing collaboration with Guide Dogs. Our staff are passionate about supporting this charity whenever we can, and we are pleased that the pupils enjoyed the assembly and are looking forward to following the puppies’ training. We hope that both the experience and the lessons they learn will stay with them for a long time to come.”
The sponsorship is part of an ongoing partnership between the housebuilder, whose logo features a Golden Retriever after the company first named a guide dog puppy, Wilson, through the Name a Puppy Scheme by Guide Dogs.
Phillipa Thom, Community Fundraiser for West Sussex at Guide Dogs, says: “Our volunteer puppy walkers’ key responsibility is to prepare the puppies for their working life by familiarising them with as many different environments including the home, town and public transport. The pup will then enter formal training at a Mobility Team to learn guiding skills. We really appreciate the ongoing support from David Wilson Homes and the importance that they place on teaching children not just about sight loss but realising the life changing impact a guide dog can have on those who are blind or partially sighted.”
Tracy Taylor, Headteacher at Bolnore Village School, comments: “It was a great experience for the children to meet Richard and his guide dog Annie and to hear how Annie has changed Richard’s life. We are all very excited to be given the opportunity to follow Libby, Barrie and Bolt through their training.”
David Wilson Homes currently has a range of three- and four-bedroom houses available. Prices start from £359,995 for a three-bedroom semi-detached home with two parking spaces. Available with Help to Buy, this can be secured with a 5% deposit of approximately £18,500.
Buyers interested in finding out more about the homes at Wychwood Park should contact 0333 355 8499 or visit www.dwh.co.uk
