Inspiring reads
Get out, DO GOOD & feel good!
With the summer months ahead of us, there’s no better time to enjoy the outdoors, but what about combining it with helping others, too? Here are some fresh-air volunteering ideas you may not have considered getting involved with…
Guaranteed to raise a smile; for Georgina, it was love at first sight
‘These little donkeys spread joy everywhere they go’
A very personal experience led Georgina Beale, 48, from Ipswich, to discover the magic of some rather special animals.
‘Watching my beloved dad, Christopher, stroking Millie, the adorable brown mini donkey that had come into his care home, he lit up like a firework. He had advanced vascular dementia and it was hard to reach him, but the smile on his face on that day – just six weeks before he died – gave me a memory I’ll always treasure.
That was the first time I came across the Norfolk community venture Miniature Donkeys for Wellbeing, a social enterprise that I now know as Minidonks.
After Dad’s death in January 2022, I sponsored Millie and went to events, instantly feeling at home with the animals. Minidonks founder, Sarah McPherson, saw that I loved being with the donkeys and telling other people about them, and she asked if I might be interested in volunteering.
I’ve always suffered with low self-esteem and anxiety and would never have put myself forward, but after Sarah saw something in me, I plucked up the courage to give it a go. It gave me such confidence that I even gave up my job with Tesco that I’d had for nearly 30 years so that I could do more with the mini donkeys. My husband Alan said that he could see me “buzzing” after a day with them.
For me, the donkeys provided a release from anxiety. As soon as I saw them trotting over to me in their field, I’d break into a huge smile. They just accepted me for who I was, and that was amazing therapy.
Now, during the summer, I can do 12 visits a month, taking the mini donkeys to care homes, special schools, psychiatric units and even prisons. They are calm and intelligent animals, steady and solid, but not overwhelming because of their size. And they often seem to seek out those who need support the most.
I travel by public transport, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, meeting the donkeys when I arrive at my destination. Being outside on visits is so calming. Those who are able will come outdoors to stroke the donkeys and then we’ll head inside to see those who are less mobile. Millie, who charmed my dad, is small enough to travel in a lift, so everyone, no matter what floor they are on, will enjoy a visit.
Volunteering has been life-changing for me and, in turn, I’ve made a difference to other people’s lives. These little donkeys spread joy and
