Primary schools

We are passionate about helping children understand more about leprosy and how they can make a difference to those affected.

We want them to know that they can make a positive difference to people who are affected by this disease. A simple school fundraiser will change lives!

Our passionate Community Partnerships team have all had enhanced DBS checks, and are ready to help you get involved. If you have any questions or want to find out more, get in touch with the Community Partnerships Manager for your area.

We partner with schools to provide engaging information and offer the following:

School activities

Bela resources

These free resources are based on the beautifully illustrated children’s book 'Bela', by Mia Hadrill and Jessica Kettle. Bela is a story about a young girl from India who is diagnosed with leprosy. It covers issues such as friendship, bullying and inclusion.

Lesson plans are tailored for EYFS, Key Stage One, and Key Stage Two. You'll find plenty of ideas for activities across the whole curriculum, plus a digital version of the book to download. Follow this link to explore the Bela resources.

School assembly

Your special school assembly will last approximately 20 minutes and will explain all about leprosy in a fun and interactive way.

Children are invited to take part in a quiz. Four children are invited up to the front to participate in an activity showing the importance of feeling in their hands. A video uses a real-life story about two children who caught leprosy at an early age. Together, we will then explore the challenges they faced at school and in their community.

We will then introduce the Bela story and accompanying resources. The assembly ends by launching your preferred fundraising activity.

Follow this link to fill out the form and book a visit from one of our team.

Leading a lesson

We can provide an engaging and interactive lesson for a class using the Bela teaching resources. This gives your children the opportunity to learn about leprosy and space for discussion and questions. Lessons are cross-curricular, and there are differentiated activities for children in all key stages.

Fundraising activities

We don’t charge a fee for coming into your school, but we would like you to commit to holding a fundraising event. We have two fundraising activities that are easy to organise and fun for children to participate in. You can also choose your own fundraising event.

We recommend a suggested minimum donation of £1 per child, but any donation is gratefully received.

Every child takes home an information leaflet and a Leprosy Mission logo bug. If a child raises £5 or more, they will also receive a Leprosy Mission wristband. If they raise £10 or more, they will also receive a Leprosy Mission sandal keyring. This is because it costs £10 to provide a person affected with leprosy with a pair of protective sandals to protect feet that have lost feeling.

Odd Shoes Day Tuesday

For this fundraising activity, children come to school wearing different shoes for a day. This reminds children that leprosy takes away feeling in feet, which means it’s easy to injure them. Treating foot ulcers is a key part of our work because it prevents disability. This activity is great for raising community awareness, as people question why children are wearing odd shoes.

Gloves to Show Love

For this fundraiser, children bring a pair of gloves to school and wear them during different lessons. It reminds children that if leprosy isn’t cured quickly, fingers curl in to palms and won’t straighten. They also lose feeling. This makes it very hard for children to hold a pen at school, catch a ball, or grip a spoon. It emphasises how important our hands and fingers are.