Crafty Olivia raises cash on the hoof for donkeys

Olivia Jones, 13, from Shrewsbury created a plethora of hand crafted festive decorations to sell at a Covid-safe driveway sale before Christmas in aid of international charity Brooke.

Her decorations included bottle lights, plant pots, felled wood reindeer, pine cone place holders and origami butterfly bookmarks. These were all handmade with the use of easily accessible, foraged or simple household items, and raised a total of £245. Alongside the driveway sale, Olivia created a commissioned artwork for her school headmaster, raising an additional £24 and taking her overall total up to £269.

All the money raised from Olivia’s efforts will go towards helping working horses, donkeys and mules across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.

Over 100 million of these animals are currently working worldwide, earning an income that around 600 million people rely on to put food on their tables, send their children to school and build better futures for themselves and their families.

Brooke works with owners, communities, service providers, governments and international organisations to make long lasting improvements to the lives of animals and their owners.

Olivia said: “Animals have always had a special place in my heart, especially horses and donkeys. I have a horse called Humbug, he is a cheeky boy and he has a great life filled with food and love. However, it saddens me to think some of our four-legged friends aren’t given the treatment and respect they deserve. That’s why I chose Brooke as the charity I would fundraise for and I hope my donation helps horses and donkeys all over the world to live a happy and healthy life.”

To find out more about Brooke, visit thebrooke.org