'We do this every year and it just gets better': SEN school goes extra mile in walk for Guide Dogs

Pupils at the Brier School in Kingswinford partook in their annual walk for Guide Dogs UK to raise money for the support dog charity.

Each year the pupils aim to raise £2,500, which is the amount it costs to name a puppy and put it through specialist training.

Last year, the pupils raised an impressive £2,350 which Guide Dogs UK kept aside for them. They have now added last year's earnings to the £3,500 they raised on Friday, May 3, allowing them to sponsor two puppies.

Over the seven years that the school has been able to do a sponsored walk, they have raised more than £15,000. They use the field of their neighbouring school, Bromley Hills Primary School.

Former high level teaching assistant and current governor Carol Millward helped to organise the event and said: "This year has been a phenomenal year.

"The children absolutely love it, and they have really taken it on. Their parents are really on board too, and extremely supportive. We do this fantastic walk every year and it just gets better and better. I'm very proud of them all."

She added: "We started nine years ago because we had a visually impaired child at the school and while he wasn't able to have a dog, we thought it would be a good charity to help as it's not Government-funded and relies on donations.

"I can't thank the parents enough and everyone who donated."

They were joined on their walk by Archie, a fully qualified German Shepherd guide dog.

The pupils will meet their two puppies later this year when they are brought into the school to be named by the children. The puppies will then go through training on how to become an assistance dog for the blind, which will take place at a specialist site, and occasionally come back to the school to see the children.

Once the dogs become fully qualified, they will visit the school a final time before being assigned to someone in need.