Fund-raising
Over the past 17 years, John and Annie have embarked on some novel, high-profile and rather bold fund-raising activities which have captured the imagination of the public in general, and a few famous people - including Chris de Burgh, the Rolling Stones and Her Majesty the Queen.
Coast to Coast
In 1997, a team of five, 11 year old girls and five donkeys, supported by John & Annie and a host of people along the way, walked from the beach at Scarborough to the Blackpool sands. Emma, Becky, Katie, Holly and Lynsey, together with their donkeys Tinker, Elliott, Thaddeus, Joshua and Pepsi covered a distance of 340 miles in just 3 weeks. The funds raised enabled 33 special needs children to have a holiday at Freshfields.
The Royal Donkey Walk
In 1998, Helen and Rachel, both 12 years old, walked with their donkeys Tinker and Joshua, from Balmoral Castle in the highlands of Scotland to Buckingham Palace aiming to arrive on April 21st - Her Majesty the Queen’s birthday. Accompanied by Annie and Boo, the dog, and supported by John driving the horse-box (overnight accommodation for Tinker and Joshua) they covered 973 miles in 8 weeks.
On arriving in London, they stayed at the Savoy Hotel (the donkeys too...) and the next morning, they walked down The Mall to the Palace gates to complete their expedition.
To their total surprise, the gates opened and they were ushered in to have a private audience with Her Majesty the Queen who fed the donkeys specially prepared carrots and chatted to the team about their adventure. The final accolade was for the girls and the Trust to be mentioned in the Queen’s Speech that Christmas.
The Irish Walk
In 1999, Annie accompanied three girls (Caren, Emma and Holly) and three donkeys (Florence, Tinker and Baz) on a walk from Galway Bay to Manchester. Caren, from Athenry in Ireland was chosen from a host of volunteers who answered a small ad in the Galway Times seeking a local girl to join the expedition. John asked Chris de Burgh if he would like to help publicise the walk and maybe write a piece of music to commemorate it. Chris agreed to do so provided he could walk with the girls and, at the finish, give a concert in aid of the Trust. In fact, he play two concerts to a packed Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. En-route, the team were invited to tea with the Rolling Stones at their Irish retreat in Digby. The walk was completed in three weeks - averaging 21 miles per day.
Beethoven the Pilgrim
Beethoven was rescued in Derbyshire, traumatised by severe injuries and deaf from repeated beatings to the head. After a few months of rest and two operations, he began to enjoy the company of the other donkeys and the constant attention he received from the wonderful, special needs children.
In October 2003, Beethoven made a pilgrimage to the Crypt of St Francis of Assisi in Northern Italy. After a journey of 3,000 miles, he descended the steps into the crypt of the Patron Saint of All Animals. Candles were lit, prayers were said and a very special blessing was bestowed on him to take back to Freshfields. By the time he emerged from the church, crowds had gathered, eager to touch him, photograph him and wish him Godspeed on his homeward journey.
This was a wonderful achievement for a donkey that nearly lost his life at such an early age.
Other Activities
It takes considerable funds and resources to maintain a project like Freshfields and, over the years, the Trust has received tremendous support from its patrons, sponsors, members and from casual visitors, for example:
Martin Shaw (Judge John Deed) recently held his 60th birthday party at Freshfields and asked his fans not to send him cards or presents but, instead, make a donation to the Trust to support the Cyprus donkeys. The result was a huge postbag of donations from Martin’s fans all over the world.
Bob Monkhouse was a great supporter and left a legacy to the Trust in his will.
To raise further funds, John arranges concerts, social events and gives after-dinner speeches, as well as making plans for the next big adventure.