The fundraising, which raised a staggering £2,025, came about after a visit to the school by Fiona McGregor, who is registered blind, and her Guide Dog Winnie.
Fiona, who is from Harleston and has a grandson at the school, shared her story with the children about how she lost her sight fifteen years ago and how lucky she feels to have Winnie the Guide Dog to be her eyes.
Fiona said: “I would like to say a massive thank you to the children, parents and staff for fundraising such a wonderful amount for the Richard and Jill Bussien Guide Dogs Harleston & Diss Fundraising Group.”
She added: “I loved my visit to Harleston Primary School with my Guide Dog Winnie to share my experiences with eyesight loss. I’m totally overwhelmed with the amount the children have raised. This will go a long way in a Guide Dogs’ life and will help someone like me in their journey.”
Mrs Ingram, Teacher, said: “The Year 1 and Nursery children joined the class in the hall to learn about Fiona’s story and they were so inspired they wanted to do something. The children and parents of the Reception and Year 1 children took the time to decorate the children’s bikes and scooters and then very kindly donated over £2,000! The children displayed enormous stamina and proudly rode their bikes, completing laps of the playground.”
One of the Reception children, Isaac, said: “I have some pocket money and I am going to give this to help pay for a new guide dog.”
Mrs Bev Beaumont, Teacher, said: “We are very proud of our children for coming up with the idea and taking the initiative to raise the funds for an important cause. We are truly overwhelmed by the generosity of our families across Early Years and Year 1, it is truly remarkable and so wonderful that we all came together for such a worthy cause and raised so much money and had great fun at the same time! May we take this opportunity to thank our families for their most generous donations and for helping others in our community.”
Mrs Beaumont added: “We are hoping to sponsor a guide dog with this money and will feel a sense of pride knowing that we have managed to help others.”