Guide dogs capture the heart of Tameside College

Travel and Tourism students have been testing their entrepreneurial skills by hosting a fundraising event for the charity Guide Dogs.  The big feature of the day was the appearance of Cyril the guide dog who drew a warm response from staff and students.  Their visit to the college has helped others find out more about the charity and how funds are used to support the development of guide dogs.

Guide Dogs was founded in 1931 in Wallasey, Merseyside.  It has grown into a national campaign with up to 5,000 guide dogs supported in the UK.  The charity provides modern training facilities as well as breeding programmes and puppy walking schemes to ensure the best possible dogs are available.  It costs £5 a day to support each working guide dog partnership.

Dave, Guide Dog volunteer, said:

“This event is brilliant as it raises awareness in young people, which is different from our usual target audience. It allows the younger generation to learn more about the work we do and what our guide dogs offer. The event has been arranged well and we have had a lot of interest. Cyril has been a big hit with the students.”

As well as the attraction of Cyril the event also hosted a number of activities including: cake and sweet stalls; photo booth; raffle; and nail painting.

Ruth David, travel and tourism teacher, said:

“The students have worked extremely hard to plan and deliver this event.  Their passion for the charity Guide Dogs is reflected in the response they’ve had from visitors at the event.  Thy have brought the event alive through Cyril and hopefully the charity’s message will connect to students and staff across Tameside College.”