The future's bright with the help of Churchill College!

NORTHEAST: Pupils at Churchill College in Wallsend are really giving Henshaws a helping hand! They've made us their chosen charity and have raised hundreds of pounds to help blind and visually impaired children across the Northeast.

Henshaws Northeast are trying to raise £5000 to take five visually impaired children to Lapland for the trip of a lifetime later this year – and the pupils at the school have made it their mission to help out with true Wallsend style. So far, the school has raised £450.60 for the trip.

Just last week, the pupils each paid £1 to come into school wearing crazy colourful clobber in support of Henshaws ‘Wear Bright for Sight’ campaign. Then Henshaws staff and service users stepped in to deliver school assemblies with a difference…

Philippa Taylor, Henshaws Children and Families Manager said: “The children at Churchill are so responsive to our message. We got the whole school together to get them to see and understand what life is like for children who are blind or visually impaired - like the kids we’re taking to Lapland.”

 “We talk to them about blindness and visual impairments, including common myths, causes and how other children live life with sight loss. We get them to try on special glasses that recreate the everyday view of people with the more common visual impairments. Then they get to try out different canes and adaptations that help blind people everyday. It’s great to see their preconceptions go out of the window!”

Shauna McPhilemy and her guide dog Pam also came along to meet the pupils: “It was good to do a bit of ‘myth busting’. I’m almost completely blind, but I really don’t ‘look’ like a stereotypical blind person. You’d think the dog would give it away, but it doesn’t all the time! So when the kids asked if I really was blind, it was good to talk and share our perceptions of blindness.”

Class teacher, Mrs Smith says, “I’m so proud of the kind-heartedness of the pupils. They’ve really taken the importance of this Lapland trip on board - so much so that Henshaws are now our chosen charity.”

You can donate towards the Lapland trip by emailing philippa.taylor@henshaws.org.uk or calling 0191 222 0716