A SCHOOLGIRL has raised more than £400 for charity, after walking a total of 100 miles.

Ten-year-old Millie Wright from Otley walked a mile a day for 100 days in aid of Guide Dogs.

As part of her home learning during the last lockdown, her teachers asked Millie and her class to look at Captain Sir Tom Moore’s challenge, and straight away, Millie knew she wanted to do something similar.

Millie’s Mum Sophie said: “Millie decided almost immediately that she wanted to do something for Guide Dogs – initially aiming to raise £100 for the charity. She has done so well – walking a mile a day for 100 days was a real challenge, especially in bad weather. But she did it – and has quadrupled her fundraising target. We’re so proud of her.

“We also recently brought a new puppy home and with Millie being able to have a chat about how guide dogs are trained, we’ll certainly be putting some of these techniques into practice.”

Millie’s routes included walking through the golf course, the local park and on her last mile, she wore a blindfold so that she could experience how difficult sight loss can be. She was also joined by some guide dogs and their owners, who walked alongside her for the final stretch of her challenge.

Charlotte Walton, Community Fundraising Manager, said: “We are so impressed with Millie’s creativity and her dedication to such an amazing challenge.

“Fundraisers play a vital part in helping us deliver life-changing services for people with sight loss – there’s something for everyone and this support will help fund our vital services that enable thousands of visually impaired people to lead confident, independent and fulfilling lives.”

A UK-wide charity, Guide Dogs helps people with sight loss to live the life they choose and to step out into the world with confidence. There are approximately 22,000 people living with sight loss in Leeds with that number expected to increase by 19 per cent by 2030.

It costs around £55,000 to train and support a guide dog partnership throughout the life of the dog. As well as breeding and training costs, Guide Dogs covers the cost of food, vets’ bills and ongoing training after the dog is partnered with someone with sight loss. Guide Dogs relies on donations to keep its life-changing services running.

Every hour, another person in the UK loses their sight, and Guide Dogs is there to make sure they don’t lose their independence as well. The charity wants everyone who experiences sight loss to be able to live their lives the way they choose and feel confident, independent and supported in the world.

To help it continue its life-changing work, the charity relies on donations from individuals. Find out more at guidedogs.org.uk.