|PIC1|Peterborough United goalkeepers Joe Lewis and James McKeown joined with children from five local primary schools last week to show their support for World Leprosy Week next week.

World Leprosy Week follows World Leprosy Day on January 25 and schools across the UK are getting involved with special lessons and competitions.

Pupils are also being sponsored to wear a glove for a day to highlight the fact that people affected by leprosy lose sensation starting in their hands and feet if if the condition is left untreated. The loss of sensation can eventually lead to serious injury and irreversible deformities.

Children visiting the grounds of Peterborough United last week made a banner and hand posters for the photo shoot and Lewis and McKeown wore their goalie gloves as a reminder of how important their hands are to them.

Peterborough United, also known as Posh, plans to show its support for World Leprosy Week by sending football kits out to children the Leprosy Mission works with in Kwara State, Nigeria.

Money raised from World Leprosy Week will be funding a new project in Kwara State to increase detection of leprosy by working with the local health system. The project will also work in five leprosy communities to build new houses and provide basic amenities like water and electricity. Some 300 children from these communities will be supported in education and the project will provide small business loans through cooperative societies.

Rupert Haydock, National Director for The Leprosy Mission England and Wales, said, "We are extremely grateful to the Posh team and the schools involved for supporting World Leprosy Week.

"The symbol of the hand reminds us that many people affected by leprosy still do not receive treatment in time to stop irreversible deformities developing that prevent them doing the everyday things most of us take for granted.

"Our aim is to support people affected by leprosy to overcome the disease, and the social discrimination and poverty that often go with it. We would like to thank Posh and schools both locally and nationally for standing with us in this."