Uppermill Beavers work for Safer Streets
Uppermill Beavers work for safer streets
Written by Jude Gidney
Uppermill Beaver Scouts invited Saddleworth Life to a ‘Safer Street Party’ last night and I learnt a considerable amount about their interest and work they’ve been doing in helping the disabled especially the blind.
The Beaver Scout pack have been working on a project known as A Million Hands, an initiative organised by The Scout Association. A Million Hands seeks to mobilise the association’s half a million Scouts to do practical things to help others in their communities. This programme has allowed Uppermill Beavers to learn about four social issues; they then chose to focus on helping blind and partially sighted people.
The party’s theme, Safer Streets, supports the Streets Ahead campaign* from the charity Guide Dogs. The campaign aims to tackle some of the most common physical barriers to accessible streets, such as cars parked on pavements and street clutter like A-boards.
Over the last few months, the Beaver Scout Pack has also completed activities devised by Guide Dogs to help them understand some of the difficulties people with sight loss experience.
They played Safer Streets bingo, spotting some of the things that can get in the way of someone who’s blind or partially sighted as they walk down a street, and enjoyed a visit from a Guide Dogs speaker, Barbara Milhemch. Barbara told me she is from the Oldham branch of the Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Barbara, a Puppy Walker, described to me how she welcomes a puppy to her home from them being about 11 weeks old until they are ready for training, about 18 months old. The beautiful black Labrador that is with her at present is due to be leaving her very soon. She hopes to keep track of her during her training and hopefully once she is with her final owner.
William, one of the Uppermill Scouts, was also at the Party with his Buddy Dog, Yurgi. The Buddy Dog scheme is one run by the Guide Dog Association to aid blind or partially sighted children and young adults in improving their confidence and self esteem, and to get them ready to possibly have a Guide dog around at a later time in their lives. Buddy Dogs are those that haven’t qualified to work as a mobility assistant but are of great benefit to the child. William was very proud to introduce Yurgi to me, and Yurgi seemed very pleased too.
Jenny, one of the Beaver Scouts, then went on to tell me about the Safer Street photographs that the Beavers have been taking of obstructions and hazards they have identified in the streets in Saddleworth.
It concerned her that people often park on the pavements in the area as the streets are so narrow. Not only will blind people find them a hazard but also those in wheelchairs, prams and mobility scooters. And numerous other Beaver Scouts checked that I had refreshments and cleared away my used cup and plate very politely.
What a pleasurable evening I had, spent with the Beaver Scouts and dogs. Many thanks to the Uppermill Pack Leader for inviting me.
To find out more about how you can get involved with the Uppermill Scout Group please message the Uppermill Beaver Scouts here.
*Read more about the Guide Dogs for the Blind Streets Ahead campaign.
Author: Jude Gidney - Editor
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