How Guide Dogs is using the Beano to raise awareness

Charities are finding increasingly innovative ways to tell their stories, from creating emotive VR experiences to drive home their cause to using comic books to reach younger supporters and beneficiaries with their mission. 

Indeed, the latest of these innovative storytelling methods is a recent partnership between Guide Dogs and iconic British children’s comic the Beano, whose famous characters include Dennis the Menace, the Bash Street Kids, and Minnie the Minx. 

The Guide Dogs and Beano partnership involved the creation in May 2024 of a bespoke comic strip story using the comic’s Bash Street Kids characters to raise awareness of issues facing children and young people with a visual impairment. Called "A Buddy for Life", the story, which was made available as an insert in the regular comic, involves the character Erbert discussing his visual impairment with his friends.  

Below, we look in detail at this partnership and how it fits into a long-running relationship between comics and good causes.  

Raising awareness 

One of the core aims of Guide Dogs’ partnership with the Beano is raising awareness of high rates of bullying among children, particularly suffered by those who are visually impaired. According to the charity, four in five adults with a visual impairment were bullied as children. 
 

"Our partnership with Beano will help children learn more about visual impairments and the various services Guide Dogs offers in a fun yet educational way,” says Guide Dogs Head of Accessibility Alex Pepper. 
 
“With Erbert opening up about his visual impairment to the Bash Street Kids for the very first time, we hope to encourage people to feel more comfortable sharing their sight loss experience.” 

The strip also highlighted Guide Dogs’ Buddy Dog service which matches children impacted by sight loss with dogs. The service is used to help build children’s confidence, improve relationships, and build trust. While owned by Guide Dogs, they are looked after and stay with a child and their family. 

The Beano’s Editorial Director Craig Graham explains: “At Beano, it’s important to us to reflect kids’ experiences and help them navigate life with the fun and mischief that all kids should get to enjoy”. 

 
He adds that the link up with Guide Dogs has given the comic the “opportunity to talk at length about sight loss, which has been a particularly special project for me as someone who has a visual impairment”. 
 
 

Prioritising accessibility 

As well as using the comic to raise awareness among the wider population, the charity has also worked with the Beano to ensure the story can be widely read by children impacted by a visual impairment themselves. 

Beano has created an audio version of the story, as well as the traditional print copy, marking the first time the comic has published an audio version in its almost 90-year history. A digital version with a dyslexia-friendly typeface has also been created to further increase accessibility.  
 
Pepper says the campaign’s focus on accessibility will enable “everyone to enjoy and access the content across multiple formats”. 
 
“We hope to normalise these conversations so young people can better understand how to be inclusive and supportive of everyone.” 

Leading with authenticity 

Added authenticity has been given to the storytelling by including ‘Beanofied’ versions of real-life Buddy Dog owners, seven-year-old Alex McQueen and his dog Chance, and 16-year-old Hester Poole and her dog Pickle. 

Alex’s mother Lindsey McQueen says: “For Alex and Chance to be turned into comic characters in Beano is extremely exciting for him and all the family. Not just because he will be appearing in the comic, but because he is excited to show off Chance to the world.  

“Guide Dogs has been supporting Alex since he was four years old and changed his life when Chance the buddy dog came home in 2022. They have a special bond that has helped both practically with Alex’s visual impairment but also with his confidence and given him a best friend.” 

Comic books championing good causes

Guide Dogs and Beano’s partnership is part of a rich history of link ups between good causes and comic books.  

Among the most prominent recent examples was in 2022 when health charity Re-live and comic creators, including artist the late Ian Kennedy, who credits include Dan Dare, Commando and 2000AD. Supergirl artist Emma Viecheli and Clark Bint, whose credits include Heavy Metal, were also involved.  

This involved the creation of a comic called Coming Home, to raise awareness of mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, to impact military veterans.  
 

Other notable partnerships include DC Comics’ link up with UK government’s Health Education Council in the 1980s, where Superman took part in an anti-smoking campaign. This featured specially created villain the ’Evil Nick-O-Teen’. 

In the 1980s, Marvel also linked up with American Friends Services Committee to raise awareness of famine relief efforts. This Heroes for Hope project involved the comic publisher’s X-Men characters, notable artists and writers including John Byrne, Frank Miller, and Stan Lee, and raised £130,000 for the charity.