Crowds at London Mela to discover how guide dogs transform the lives of people with sight loss

Charity Guide Dogs will have an information roadshow at the London Mela festival, which takes place at Gunnersbury Park, Hounslow on Sunday 16 August.

Guide dog owners and the charity’s staff will talk to festival-goers about the positive difference a guide dog can make to someone with sight loss, and also the other ways Guide Dogs helps people – like training them to use a cane, or to get to grips with tasks like cooking dinner and cleaning.

Visitors to the Mela will learn how a guide dog helps its owner get around safely and confidently by guiding them around obstacles, stopping at kerbs and steps, and finding doors, road crossings and places visited regularly.

Guide Dogs wants to help people with sight loss, from all communities in and around the London Boroughs, who could benefit from a guide dog, or the other mobility and rehabilitation services it provides. As well as raising awareness at the Melas, the charity hopes to learn more about how to support and meet the needs of local black and minority ethnic communities.

Guide Dogs has been working with the Muslim Council of Britain, resulting last year in a historic fatwa, enabling Mahomed-Abraar Khatri to become the first UK guide dog owner to take a guide dog into a mosque. The fatwa supports the need for a blind person to own and ‘work’ a guide dog, including being guided to the mosque reception area for prayers.

Previously, Mahomed-Abraar could only go out accompanied by a friend or family member. Now he goes where he wants, when he wants, and his confidence has grown.

Bridget Warr, Guide Dogs’ Chief Executive, said: “There is so much we can do to help blind and partially-sighted people overcome the isolating impact of sight loss, get out and about and live the lives they want. This help is available to everyone, and we can ‘tailor’ it to meet an individual’s needs, whatever their cultural background. If you think a guide dog could help you, or you know someone who might benefit from owning one, do come along and talk to us.”

For further information about how guide dogs can transform lives, phone
0845 372 7499 email guidedogs@guidedogs.org.uk or log on to our enquires page