Northampton primary school children raise money for medical detection dogs

A Northampton school has raised money for dogs that detect illnesses such as cancer.

Cogenhoe Primary School ‘painted the town red’ by hosting an all red mufti day on Tuesday (February 11) for the charity Medical Detection Dogs.

The pupils at the school made posters for the event, had an assembly about what the dogs do and paid £1 each to dress in red.

Rebecca Reeve, year five teacher and leader of the school council at Cogenhoe, said: “We have therapy dogs come in and listen to the children read so the children have a real love for animals and raising money for charity so this combined the two.

“Everyone wore red and it was the first time we have ever done that.

“One of the governors now works for Medical Detection Dogs and a few months back she came in with one of the dogs so the children got to learn about what they do.”

‘Paint the town red’ was part of the charity’s scheme that Rebecca said the school was keen to get involved in.

She added: “The school council chooses a number of charities that the school will support throughout the year.

“We have already raised money for The Hope Centre and the Weston Favell Food Bank and later in the year we will have a crazy hair day for Clic Sargent. This was a chance for the school to do something different.”

The school managed to raise around £170 for Medical Detection Dogs from its mufti day.

Community fundraiser for Medical Detection Dogs, Carolyn Green, said: "We were thrilled to hear that Cogenhoe Primary School swapped their blue uniform to dress top to toe in red for Medical Detection Dogs.

"Medical Detection Dogs trains dogs to save lives by smelling human diseases like cancer and Parkinson’s and conditions like Type 1 diabetes and severe nut allergies.

"Their red coats have been celebrated up and down the UK this week and we love that school children are learning how amazing dogs noses are and the difference they can make to people's lives."