Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.

 

From 18 - 25 April 2010 I am taking part in a charity trek for The Donkey Sanctuary.  We are walking the Cinque Terre Challenge in North Western Italy.  This is a series of five small villages dug into the cliffs where the Apennine Mountains meet the Mediterranean coastline.  The area is hard to access except on foot and we will be trekking to all the villages over a period of four days.  Before we return home we will be visiting The Italian Donkey Sanctuary - Il Refugio degli Asinelli - to learn more about their work in Italy and work at the sanctuary for a day.

I have to raise at least £1850 for the Donkey Sanctuary.  Some of this I will be paying myself to cover my flights, accommodation and food.  Everything over and above that will go directly to help the work of the Donkey Sanctuary.  Their aim is to prevent the suffering of donkeys worldwide through the provision of high quality, professional advice, training ahd support on donkey welfare.  In the UK and Ireland permanent sanctuary is provided to any donkey in need of refuge.  Overseas they promote awareness of donkeys' needs, improve their status and teach the correct treatment of donkeys so that they can continue to work for man without unnecessary suffering.  Their projects include mobile clinics and sanctuaries which concentrate on areas where there is a large donkey population, where the economy is dependent on the donkey and where there is low economic status.  They try to link up with universities or government veterinary departments, offering training in the UK to overseas vets giving them the knowledge to take back to their own countries.  They employ staff from the countries in which they work, as advice is more readily accepted from local people.  Overseas projects are ongoing in Kenya, Ethiopia, Egypt, Mexico, India and in various European countries.

The Donkey Sanctuary was founded in 1969 by Elisabeth Svendsen and it works alongside the Elisabeth Svendsen Trust providing donkey-riding therapy to children with special educational needs and disabilities.  They are the eighth largest animal charity in the UK and only 6p in every £1 is spent on administration.  For further information about their work go to www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk  .

I have been a supporter of The Donkey Sanctuary for a long time and for many years my staff at work have sponsored a donkey for me as my Christmas present.  At present that money goes to Busby at the Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary in Devon - Busby is one of the EST donkeys interacting with the disabled children.

I know that there are many charity claims on all of us, but I would be so grateful if you would support me and help the work of a charity to which I will always be committed.

A big 'thank you' to everyone who donates.