Canine cuddles soothe St Edmund's College students

The student Combination Room, with the support of the College, hosted volunteers from Guide Dogs UK for ‘Pet-a-Puppy’ Day.

Five volunteer Puppy Walkers and their guide dog puppies visited  over a 3 hour period and lifted the mood of over 100 St Edmund’s College students.

Combination Room Welfare Officer Iris Pissaride was inspired to organise the day after hearing about the success of a similar event organised by Aberdeen University Students' Association.

Since then, Iris has been working with the Guide Dogs Cambridge Branch to make the event happen.

St Edmund’s College students described the day as the “best stress reduction ever” and “amazing fun!”

“We’re always looking for ways to help students get through the exam term and ‘Pet-a-Puppy’ Day has really helped students to relax and de-stress” said Jonathan Crass, Combination Room Treasurer.

Daniel Ingram, Volunteer Development Coordinator for Guide Dogs added: “We would like to thank St Edmund’s College for helping us stage a very enjoyable event and for their kind donation to the charity.

“It is important that our puppies are at ease in all environments. Early socialising in a variety of environments, such as a university, is a vital part of a guide dog puppy’s journey to becoming a guide dog.

“We hope this is just the start of a great relationship between Guide Dogs and St Edmund’s; with many of the students interested in volunteering with us and the possibility of more events in the future.”

The Guide Dog event is just one of a number of events being run in College to help with exam stress. Other events include massages, a weekly tea and cake event on Sundays and hot chocolate available every evening during the peak of exams.

Photo credit: Sarah Ashley