WINTER 2020

BROOKENEWS

HANDLING WITH COMPASSION

STORIES THAT CHANGE LIVES

PROUD TO BE BROOKE

SUPPORTING YOU TO SUPPORT USWhether you’ve been supporting us for a day or a decade, none of our work would be possible without supporters like you. That’s why we’re always happy to help. If you’d like to talk about our work, update your details, change your communication preferences or donate to Brooke, please contact our Supporter Care Team.

Email: info@thebrooke.orgVisit: www.thebrooke.orgCall: 020 7470 9393 (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm)Write: Brooke, 2nd Floor, The Hallmark Building, 52-56 Leadenhall Street, London, EC3A 2BJEditor: Peter Marsh Chief Executive: Petra Ingram Cover Photo: India All images © Brooke unless otherwise stated. Please note that the majority of our photos are taken by staff in the field to save costs.

Registered Charity No. 1085760

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CONTENTSNews in brief 4-6

Proud to be Brooke 7

Community Development for Animals 8

Stories that change lives 9

Donkey hide update 10

Women’s donkey care group 11

Handling with compassion 12-15

Bright ideas, big change 16

Flood and drought 17

Brooke legacies 18

Brooke USA 19

Fundraising around the UK 20-22

Brooke community 23

WELCOME

Petra IngramChief Executive

Brooke News always brings a smile to my face and I hope it has the same effect on you.

It’s so great to see the impact we are having globally – all thanks to your support. From the brick kilns of Pakistan to the farms of Senegal, the evidence is clear: what we’re doing together is not only helping working horses, donkeys and mules now, but laying the foundations for a world where these wonderful creatures are free from suffering for generations to come.

Whether we’re teaching owners about animal welfare, raising awareness at a government level or building partnerships with like-minded organisations on the ground, we’re reaching out to more people every day. And that means we can transform the lives of even more working animals.

Of course the donkey hide crisis which escalated in Kenya last year was a painful reminder that we still have a long way to go. But seeing the incredible response to our urgent appeal reassured me that, together, we can bring an end to this shocking cruelty.

Thank you once again for being there for hard-working horses, donkeys and mules all over the world. This is another exciting newsletter thanks to you and all our generous supporters. I hope reading it makes you as proud as I am to be part of Brooke.

I look forward to helping many more working horses, donkeys and mules together in 2020.

MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE: AT THE UNITED NATIONS!With your support, Brooke is influencing global decision-makers on improving animal health and welfare. We went to New York in July, to the annual UN High-Level Political Forum. Here we co-organised an event to highlight the silent but vital contribution of horses, donkeys and mules to the livelihoods of people around the world, particularly those living in poverty. With this event, we were able to play an active role in helping policy-makers see how important these majestic animals are and why they need more attention and support. And there is more. We’re delighted to announce that our application for accreditation to the UN Environment Programme was successful! This means our teams can now have a strong influence at a global level on how climate change is affecting working horses, donkeys and mules as well as the people who depend on them. They can attend sessions, meet with governments, join in discussions and lobby for resolutions that protect working animals.At the UN Environment Assembly, crucial environmental policies are decided, with the potential to change the lives of millions of horses, donkeys and mules around the world.

AN ALARMING DISCOVERY IN PAKISTAN Our researchers found donkeys and their owners play a huge role in waste management in Pakistan, and often experience poor welfare.

Donkeys in the Karachi region are essential in supporting the livelihoods of families. They are often used to pull carts collecting waste, such as building materials, commercial produce and household rubbish. This waste collection activity is the primary source of income for 89% of donkey owners interviewed during the study.Despite the animals being essential to so many people in the area, the welfare of people and animals involved in waste management in Karachi has received little attention from authorities. Our research showed 78% of the donkeys were subjected to nostril slitting and 67% had knee lesions. Our team in Pakistan is now sharing findings with the local government ministries and international organisations to see how to intervene effectively. With your support, we were able to conduct this vital research and can now take action to support these poorly animals.

NEWS IN BRIEF

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CHANGING LIVES, ONE AT A TIMEChange comes in many ways. For Lenka, the donkey, it came in the form of one-to-one training for his owner. Salif Ouédraogo, 34 years old, from Burkina Faso, received advice from a local Brooke trained animal health worker on how to care for Lenka, and now his donkey’s life has changed for the better! Lenka had wounds from carrying heavy loads and they were getting worse. The health worker explained how Salif could help his donkey and ease his pain by applying Shea butter to help soothe his skin. They discussed how a good shelter can also improve a donkey’s health – and after this talk Salif built a new shelter for his donkey! This is only one example of how Brooke’s work can have a direct impact on the lives of horses, donkeys and mules around the world. Thank you for supporting our work.

I love my donkey and I wish for him to always be healthy. – Salif Ouédraogo

HELPING THE HELPERS: IN NICARAGUAWhen conflict or natural disasters strike, working animals are called upon to help even more than usual. But who helps the helpers?

In many areas of the world that are prone to floods and other natural disasters, there are often rescue and relief plans put in place to protect and save as many lives as possible. Sadly, this often doesn’t apply to animals.

Brooke has teamed up with the National System for the Prevention, Mitigation and Attention of Disasters in Nicaragua to promote the well-being of working animals in emergency situations.

With our influence, standards and guidelines have been agreed and now the local communities, who strongly rely on working animals, will be able to use these to develop and implement local plans which protect animals in disasters.

People and working animals alike will now be included in emergency rescue efforts. 5

I was delighted to be invited by Brooke to see the vital work being done in Senegal first-hand. It was truly inspiring.

On our first day, we visited an animal shelter which was built by the local farmers’ union with support from Brooke in December last year. The shelter is great - it was built in a drought-prone region, it’s close to Mekhe’s market and gives both owners and working animals shade and water during the extremely hot and dry days.I joined a meeting with the Mayor of Mekhe, Magatte Wade, and listened to a presentation by Brooke on the shelter.

We also visited the village of Ndeukou Diagne and met with community members and owners involved in the Malaw programme which monitors the health and well-being of all working animals in the community. The trip was eye-opening for me. Seeing the shelter in Mekhe being used by working animals and owners was fantastic.Horses have always been a massive part of my life. I feel so passionate about the work that Brooke does to help working horses, donkeys and mules all over the world. It’s heart-warming to see the good work in action and the animals and communities who have benefited.

BROOKE’S WORK IN ACTIONBy Alastair Stewart, Brooke Patron

HANNAH HEADS TO KENYAIn September, Hannah Russell, our youth ambassador and author of the Little Alf series, flew to Kenya to see how Brooke is changing lives.Here, Hannah met pupils from one of the Donkey Care Clubs, a very successful initiative that is now running in 65 schools in Kenya. Through poetry, dance and drawing, children learn how to look after their donkeys - and when they go home, they share their knowledge with their parents.Hannah also visited donkey shelters in the town of Embu and met a women’s group in Mwingi to learn how working donkeys are supporting women’s lives.Hannah is now using the content from this trip to Kenya to write a children’s book, with all the proceeds going to Brooke. We’re so delighted to have her on board and can’t wait to read her new book.

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NEWS IN BRIEF

VijayDr Vijay Malla

PROUD TO BE BROOKEDr Vijay, what is your role exactly?

I lead a team of six members that attend equine fairs in 10 states of India to raise awareness about animal welfare and support owners to take good care of their equines.

Are you really in every equine fair in Uttar Pradesh?

No, we are unable to cover all the fairs as there are too many and they are spread across the country. However, we are mentoring and training animal health practitioners, especially in the government, to carry out this work. It’s very effective! Practitioners are pleased too, because with our training they are able to deal with a variety of cases, from colic and wounds, to respiratory infections.

Tell us about the equine fairs. Are animals treated well there?

Not always, unfortunately. But we are working with the fair organisers to persuade them to provide shelter, feed, veterinary services and water, because when animals are dehydrated, they can get colic, heat stress and potentially die.

We advocated for quarantine facilities for animals with Glanders and for having proper ramps to load and unload animals. And we’ve been successful in some fairs. However, sometimes we have to tell fair organisers about the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act’s Transportation rules, to ensure the animals are treated well.

Are equine fair organisers listening?

They’ll have to. We have been working with the Animal Welfare Board of India and they have now issued welfare guidelines for equine fairs. There is a lot more work to do as we are dependent on state and district administrations to implement them. Brooke India are working closely with officials and fair organisers to make sure this happens. And we’re working to change approaches to animal welfare at equine fairs too.

Meet Dr Vijay Malla from Brooke India

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Our teams have been looking into new and better ways to connect with local communities, be more effective and change more lives. And the findings are out...

How can Brooke engage with local communities and help spread the word about the importance of animal welfare? And could we develop an even better way of working with communities so the lives of more horses, donkeys and mules can be improved? In the last year, a team of Brooke staff from around the world have been testing new ways of working with the goal of finding solutions to these questions. They ran a set of workshops and found that the most powerful way to bring about change and improve the lives of working animals in the long term, was to empower the people who own them as well as the local animal health practitioners. Through mentoring and community based training and learning approaches, we can support communities

and animal health practitioners to better meet the needs of working animals. We know that, with new knowledge and skills, communities often gain the confidence, capacity and greater motivation to better care for their hard working animals. We also know that communities who appreciate and value their animals are more likely to be motivated to care for them, particularly when they also have the capacity to obtain the resources needed to care for their animals better. Looking at gender roles is also vital. This means looking at who does what in the family to care for the animals. This often shows how important it is to empower women in their communities, due to their important and often unrecognized role as care givers. As a result of lessons learnt in these workshops, we are developing new approaches and resources for working more effectively with communities.

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GETTING BIGGER AND BETTER

When supporting communities to realise the importance of animal welfare, it helps to start with the children. That’s why we’re thrilled children’s books about how to care for animals will be introduced in 118 schools in brick kiln communities in Punjab, Pakistan.

Life in areas where livelihoods depend on brick kilns can be tough, both for people and animals. Some communities in Punjab strongly rely on horses, donkeys and mules to help them in brick kilns, so animals endure very harsh conditions. From extreme temperatures to lack of water, animals are often exhausted and can suffer from colic and heat stress. These animals often carry huge loads which can cause injuries.Brooke Pakistan is working with the Labour & Human Resource Department to roll out animal welfare story books for children across four districts of Punjab. This means 3,200 children will learn how to care for their animals through the stories they read! Developed and designed by Brooke Pakistan’s Advocacy team, the short stories include ‘The Thirsty Horse’, which tells the tale of a young boy who helps a horse to access water from a well. Teachers are also receiving orientation training so they can make the most out of the books in the class room.

STORIES THAT CHANGE LIVES

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STOP PRESS Latest update from Petra Ingram, Brooke Chief Executive.

On 26th and 27th November, I attended a Brooke organised conference in Kenya in partnership with IGAD, an East African intergovernmental authority on development. 200 delegates were present, representing 13 countries across Africa. With key stakeholders present in one room, it provided a platform for donkey owners to talk about the impact of the donkey skin trade, an opportunity for their voices to be heard. Their stories told of the devastating impact the trade was causing to their livelihoods and many attendees were truly shocked. Conclusions, which will now be discussed with government officials, highlighted this crisis is much bigger than just Kenya. It is a complex challenge but action is needed now and Brooke is leading the way to ensure action is taken.

GATHERING INTEL Our teams in East Africa have managed to track down the trade route used to smuggle donkeys from Ethiopia and Northern Tanzania to slaughterhouses in Kenya. These poor animals are being transported by truck and on foot with no food or water for up to 1,100km to reach the border. They are then walked across the border on foot before being driven once again to the slaughterhouses. These donkeys are often not sourced legally, with many being stolen – this can be devastating for families who depend on a donkey to earn an income or access water. It means families already struggling to put food on the table might have to work even harder and longer now their principal means of earning a living has gone.

BANNING THE DONKEY TRADE The next steps are crucial. With the support of local governments, partner organisations and communities we will:

• Continue to map and monitor the smuggling routes and major market points

• Broadcast vital information through the local media to raise public awareness

• Document evidence that we will use in our fight to ban the donkey skin trade in Kenya

• Meet with government officials to raise awareness of this crisis and the impact on the Kenyan people

• Protect donkeys in their communities

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO HELP END THE DONKEY SKIN TRADE. TOGETHER WE WILL REMAIN STRONG, FOCUSED AND RELENTLESS FOR THE SAKE OF THE DONKEYS AROUND THE WORLD.

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Ruth David tells us more about the Kaliluni Mtunze women’s donkey care group.

With this group, we want to help donkeys be more healthy! This means doing things like using nice ropes that don’t give them wounds and sharing what we learn with other people too.One of the best things to happen for our group was receiving a rope-making machine. Before this, we were making our sisal ropes for our donkeys by hand.This took so much time and effort! In a day we could make 10 ropes and our hands would hurt and get very tired because it’s not easy. But through a Brooke partnership project, we were given a machine for making sisal ropes – that made such a wonderful difference to us! Now we can make 50 ropes per day. As the machine makes work easier and faster, our hands don’t get tired. We can work fewer

REALLY RATHER GOOD ROPES!

hours and spend more time taking care of our families, including our donkeys, the rest of the day. With every rope we stitch and sell around the community, we can continue to teach people how to treat their donkeys with care. We even started selling to other communities and animal welfare groups too. A local organisation got involved and have helped us by spreading the word. And the more this happens, the more we get paid.Brooke has really helped us. The members of our group have made a lot of income for their families. Our children can now go to school because we can afford the fees. No one stays hungry - we can finally feed the whole family, including donkeys. And, we even have our own bank account where we can start saving.This project is changing our lives.

HAPPIER, HEALTHIER LIVES. Brooke’s key mission is to make sure that working animals are treated well and live a good life. Welfare friendly and compassionate handling is a part of our day-to-day activities and we work to ensure this is mirrored in communities around the globe. To ensure this practice is kept up, we offer follow-up training to Brooke staff and anyone in the community working with animals.

One man who we trained to handle horses in a more compassionate way was Zubair Khan, a street farrier who had worked in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, for 15 years. Zubair was shoeing 10 to 15 animals every day but was unaware of the damage that his handling practices were causing.

Zubair says that, before his training:

“I was handling animals in a rough and painful way. Sometimes I was twitching the ears of the horse to control them for shoeing. During that type of handling, I injured myself a lot because the animals would become vicious and kick and bite. The owners would also complain if I was unable to put on the head collar due to them biting.”

After receiving training from Brooke, Zubair learned how to approach and handle animals in a friendly way.

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HANDLING WITH COMPASSION

“I have been using the friendly handling methods in routine practices and find them very useful for me, the animal and their owner. Horses are very sensible and, if they are handled in a friendly way, they will co-operate with you. Friendly handling is not only safer for the farrier but also for the animal and owner. I now like to build a good relationship with the animal when shoeing. I love animals.”

Zubair Khan, Pakistan Brooke trained farrier

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Faizan Anand and his favourite horse, Baadal, which means ‘clouds’ in Hindi.

In April last year, we launched a year-long project to improve handling practices of urban gharry horses – or taxi horses – in Ethiopia.

In the urban areas of Ethiopia, there is a high prevalence of illness among gharry horses. This is mainly due to poverty, which forces owners to overwork the horses just to put food on their tables. Our team observed many animals had visible wounds, were overloaded and sometimes, when unable to work any longer, were even left unattended to die. Unfortunately, often people feel that they don’t have any other choice - unemployment is high and their animal is often the only source of income. The lack of training among owners also means working animals are not receiving the care they deserve.Brooke Ethiopia has started to develop training and education materials for owners and handlers, broadcasting the messages on local TV and radios. We’re also meeting with government officials to help raise awareness of the conditions these animals face. We hope to see an improvement in the lives of gharry horses very soon and we look forward to keeping you posted on any developments.

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PROJECT UPDATE!ETHIOPIA

HANDLING WITH COMPASSION

Brooke India is working in Uttar Pradesh to make sure animal practitioners at equine fairs adopt good handling practices.

One such practitioner is 40-year-old Mukhtayar Ali who works as a hair clipper at the Nawabganj equine fair in Bareilly District. Mukhtayar has been clipping horses’ hair for 10 years. He earns just 400 rupees a day (around £4) to support his wife and children. Brooke’s team leader for the project, Dr Vijay Malla, noticed one day that Mukhtayar was using a lip twitch to control the horse he was clipping (see photos to the right). When Dr Vijay told him that using a lip twitch can be distressing and painful for the animal, Mukhtayar explained: “I do not usually have to use a twitch, but for this particular horse the owner had insisted. I will only use the twitch if an animal that comes to me is being aggressive, to stop them kicking.”The conversation continued and Dr Vijay demonstrated how to control the animal by approaching it calmly and using good handling practices. Both Mukhtayar and the owner were impressed.

INDIA

Dr Vijay hopes that, after helping the owner to handle his animal humanely and use calming techniques, he will be less likely to use a twitch next time.Because of the nature of equine fairs, Brooke has a unique opportunity to reach out to owners living in different communities far and wide, helping to spread awareness of good handling practices.

HANDLING WITH COMPASSION

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THE FUTUREA sand dam can store up to 40 million litres of water, shielding it from evaporation and contamination by preserving it safely within the sand.

This amazing low cost dam will enable communities and working animals to have access to clean drinking water. It will also help with growing crops and propagating vegetation too!

BRIGHT IDEAS, BIG CHANGEWe’re currently working in Kitui County, Kenya, exploring how Brooke can support the building of sand dams, which could improve the lives of working animals and communities. These low cost dams can be used to harvest rainwater and can last for upwards of 60 years! Thanks to supporters like you, we are able to fund new and innovative ways to help more horses, donkeys and mules as well as the people who depend on them. Thank you.

THE SOLUTIONA sand dam is a reinforced concrete wall built across a seasonal riverbed. During the rainy seasons, it captures water and sand behind the sand dam wall. The water trickles through the trapped sand and creates a reservoir. The water can be extracted and poured into a water tank, tap or sealed shallow well creating a safe water source, both for animals and people.

INNOVATION FUND

THE PROBLEMA staggering 40% of the world doesn’t have adequate access to safe drinking water.

During rainy seasons, erratic rainfall often means huge, heavy downpours. The problem is, much of this precious water is not captured.

In fact, the rain actually causes more damage than good in some ways, as it washes away nutrients and valuable fertile soil.

With no way to contain this vital water, communities and their working animals are at severe risk.

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HELPING DONKEYS AFFECTED BY THE MAHARASHTRA FLOODS

KILLER DROUGHT IN KENYABecause of the severe drought affecting many parts of Kenya in May and June, our East Africa team helped local partners to provide water and feed to working animals across the region.

We awarded KES 989,000 (over £7,000) to fund a six-week emergency response. This helped to distribute hay to more than 700 donkeys and restore boreholes to give 2,794 households and 3,308 donkeys access to water.

After the devastating floods in Western Maharashtra, India, in August, Brooke rescued many donkeys. At least 97 households and their donkeys were affected.

The three districts of Sangli, Kolhapur and Satara were submerged under rainwater, with thousands of people evacuated by the Navy, Air Force and the Government. There were several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) helping people affected by the floods, but very

few animal welfare organisations were involved in the relief efforts.

In response to the floods, we moved the donkeys to higher, safer areas where one of our local partners provided first aid and emergency treatments.

Our team also worked with the government and other local NGOs to provide clean drinking water, shelter, feed and veterinary support for the animals in need.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Whilst we are always looking to bring long term impact and improvement to the lives of working horses, donkeys and mules, we also need to tackle emergency issues as they happen.

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WHAT WOULD YOU PASS ON TO THE NEXT GENERATION?Recently, we’ve been thinking about what we would like to pass on to the next generation. We asked some of our kind supporters, as well as our team and we received some beautiful messages.

“I want to leave behind a legacy that is going to do as much good in the world as possible. With my gift to Brooke, I believe I am achieving this goal, supporting the charity to help working animals by creating lasting change.” – Fiona Farrell, Brooke supporter

“I want the children in my community to know how to care for donkeys and how to treat them.” – Simpore Moustaphe, Brooke Animator

“It is my pleasure to be making this gift on behalf of my mum, to support the ongoing work Brooke does, especially the training of Community Change Agents. I believe it creates a positive ripple effect that broadens and strengthens the impact of the work.” – Rosemary Bull kindly made a gift to Brooke on behalf of her mother Edna Bull

By remembering Brooke in their Will, people like you are leaving lasting change for working horses, donkeys and mules and the communities that depend on them. Gifts in Wills are a vital source of income for Brooke, and they can help us invest in programmes that are improving animals’ lives for good.

You can pass on something wonderful too. Include a gift in your Will to Brooke and help ensure a better future for working animals.

Visit: www.thebrooke.org/legacies to get your free information pack or call us on 020 7470 9343.

HarrietHarriet Langston, Senior Legacy Officer

JOIN US AT OUR EVENTS AND FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE IMPACT GIFT IN WILLS HAVE ON BROOKE’S WORK.

Please contact us on either legacies@thebrooke.org or 020 7470 9343 to book your place. Please note we have limited spaces so pre-booking is essential.5 February 2020 Bursledon Brick Museum, Swanwick Lane, Swanwick, Southampton, SO31 7HB

3 March 2020 Woodend Mining Museum, Smithson Farm, Wood End, Burnley, BB12 9DR

7 April 2020 Murton Park Farm, Yorkshire Museum of Farming, York, YO19 5UF

11 June 2020 Suffolk Punch Trust, Sink Farm, St Davids Lane, Hollesley, Woodbridge, IP12 3JR

14 July 2020 Weald and Downland Museum, Town Lane, Chichester, PO18 0EU

EASY FUNDRAISINGChanging the lives of more working animals

around the world in three easy ways.

Why not swap to AmazonSmile to donate to Brooke at no extra cost? AmazonSmile allows you to donate 0.5% of the net purchase price of the items you buy to a charitable organisation of your choice. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know, with the same products, prices and service. Visit www.smile.amazon.co.uk, sign in with your Amazon login details and choose The Brooke Hospital For Animals.

Help Brooke by shopping at more than 4,300 top stores across the UK, including John Lewis, at no extra cost! Get started at www.giveasyoulive.com/join/thebrooke. Simply sign up, choose Brooke, search for the retailer you want to buy from, and start shopping!

Have an old car you’ve been meaning to get rid of? Donate it to Giveacar and raise money for Brooke. Donated cars are picked up and scrapped or auctioned, with the money donated to your chosen charity, at no cost to you. Find out more at www.giveacar.co.uk/charities/the-brooke-hospital-for-animals.

Email us at corporate@thebrooke.org to find out how your company can partner with Brooke!

Our sister organisation, Brooke USA, is working hard to raise funds for Brooke projects worldwide too. Every year, the Brooke USA board of directors select projects to support that can appeal to American donors.Last year, Brooke USA funded work in:Ethiopia: Funding the construction of two health centres to train veterinary professionals.Kenya: Supporting women to better care for their donkeys and earn an income for their families. For this campaign, in 2018, Brooke USA’s ambassador teamed up with long-term supporters and created a matched funding campaign that could reach 123,000 working donkeys in Kenya. Senegal: Improving the welfare of working animals used to pull carts and carriages in urban areas. South Asia: Providing emergency veterinary care and information about good husbandry practices across the area’s brick kilns.Innovative ideas: As well as supporting in-country work, Brooke USA is looking for new and creative ideas to improve the welfare of working animals and the lives of the communities that depend on them. So recently, they have generously committed to funding Brooke’s Innovation Fund, which is used to tackle welfare issues affecting working horses, donkeys and mules, using new and innovative methods.

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CHANGING ANIMALS’ LIVES AROUND THE WORLD

FUNDRAISING AROUND THE UKA massive THANK YOU to our fantastic volunteer fundraising groups across the UK, who give up their time, come rain or shine, to help hard working horses, donkeys and mules. The creative and imaginative ways you support us never fail to impress.

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Storming ScotlandFor the first time, volunteers

from Aberdeen, Stirling,

Edinburgh and East Lothian

joined forces to host a stand

at the Royal Highland Show.

They made lots of new

connections and raised over

£1,000. Brooke were also

Monty Roberts and Kelly

Marks’ chosen charity at the

Intelligent Horsemanship

(UK) Tour at the Scottish

National Equestrian Centre,

which raised over £500.

Go team Scotland!

Cheshire flogged it! Cheshire-based art personality Adam Partridge is best known for his appearances on BBC shows including Flog It!, Bargain Hunt, Dickinson’s Real Deal and Cash in the Attic! Adam is a keen Brooke supporter and auctioned more than 35 items of stunning artwork kindly donated by Brooke supporters at our first ever art auction. Thank you to all donor exhibitors, buyers and those who helped organise the event and attended. Together we raised nearly £6,000 which will make a real difference.

We were thrilled to have a stand at the Wellington Country Fair & Horse Trials last year, in the stunning

Hampshire countryside. With the help of new supporter Emma West and long-term supporter Ann Pepper,

Brooke managed to raise over £700. We hope to return in 2020 and would love

to see you there!

For over 30 years, our loyal supporter Geraldine Braithwaite gave her time generously, leading our South Cumbria group of volunteers with vision, passion, dedication and commitment over that time. Her group raised over £52,500 for Brooke. She will be sadly missed but never forgotten.

The legacy Geraldine leaves is incredibly inspiring – including a significant gift in her Will to Brooke and more than 4,000 copies of the children’s books she illustrated, which are now being sold via our fundraising groups across the UK. The group is still going strong, holding coffee mornings, quizzes and games nights. Special thanks to Kathy Griffiths, Lorraine Chambers, Frances Jarvis, Lorraine Toal, Paul Rigby, Sally Dyer and everyone supporting the South Cumbria Supporter Group. You too are genuinely amazing, and Geraldine would be very proud.

UPCOMING EVENTSSpring Soirée

Highbullen Hotel Golf and Country Club, Devon

7 March 2020Dance the night away at our first ever Spring Soirée. Join Brooke

for an evening of live music, entertainment, dinner and dancing. To buy tickets, or to find out more about the event, please give us a call on 020 7470 9393 or email

community@thebrooke.org. To book your tickets, go to

www.thebrooke.org/spring-soiree

Brooke Summer BallNailcote Hall, Warwickshire

Saturday 4 July 2020Join us for a glittering summer

evening of fabulous food, amazing entertainment, great company, fun-filled fundraising and a few very closely guarded surprises.

Together we will make a difference to ease the pain and suffering of

hard-working equines.Early bird ticket offers, from £60

per head, are available until 31 January 2020 .

To book your tickets, go to www.thebrooke.org/summer-ball

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A tribute to an extraordinary lady

Welcome SiouxNorth Yorkshire and Blackpool and the Fylde volunteers regularly join forces to raise vital funds for Brooke. We’re delighted to welcome Sioux, the youngest member of the four-legged team who first appeared at Ripley Show last summer and was the star of the evening when he greeted guests at the Brooke Winter Ball in November, which raised a whopping £13,500. Massive thanks to Sandi Cole, Eileen Nicholls, Lisa Jagger, Pam Durrant and Angela Malkin. Your enthusiasm and new fundraising ideas always astound us. If you would like to join us and help make a difference, a warm welcome awaits. Please contact Caroline Robertson on 07920 140851

We want to say thanks to the incredible Wiltshire Group leader, Roger Green, who has been supporting Brooke for over 14 years. With the help of his wife, Roger held his first event in support of Brooke, a bring and buy sale, on 4 November 2005, raising over £150. Since then, Roger has become a regular on the Wiltshire circuit holding collections in local villages, raising awareness and vital funds for working animals. Thank you, Roger, for your ongoing support and commitment to our charity.

FEELING INSPIRED?Join one of our running events and help working horses, donkeys and mules. We have teams of runners at the following events:

Virgin Money London Marathon 26 April Edinburgh Marathon Festival 24 May Vitality London 10,000 25 May Great North Run 13 September For more details visit www.thebrooke.org/get-involved.

It’s a fond farewell to the Farnham Surrey Champion Group who will be

retiring this year. They have been supporting Brooke for over 10 years,

raising thousands of pounds at various events. We want to say a huge thank you to them for their hard work and

dedication over the years. You will be greatly missed but remain part of the

Brooke family.

A GREAT BIG THANK YOU!

Thank you to Pat Layton who fundraised at this year’s Arab Society Horse Show in Malvern in support of Brooke. With temperatures above 30 degrees, the day was a real scorcher but Pat’s bargains continued to attract the attention of the punters, raising over £1,367. Over the past 30 years, Pat has raised more than £24,000 for Brooke, which is truly incredible. Thank you so much for all your support Pat – you are a superstar.

BROOKE COMMUNITY

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PLEDGE YOUR BIRTHDAYShare your birthday with working animals in an extra special way. This year, instead of birthday presents, ask your family and friends to donate to Brooke. This will help us to improve the welfare of horses, donkeys and mules worldwide.

IMAGINE HOW MUCH WE COULD RAISE IF BROOKE SUPPORTERS RAISED JUST £10 EACH FOR THEIR BIRTHDAY!Simply set up an online fundraising page and tell all your friends and family. Find out more at www.thebrooke.org/pledge-your-birthday

Windsor Lunch There’s a new event in the Brooke social

calendar. Join us for a special lunch in historic Windsor on 20 February. You’ll enjoy a drinks reception followed by a

sumptuous lunch at the elegant Castle Hotel. To book your tickets, go to

www.thebrooke.org/windsor-lunch

Become a Brooke champion! We’re looking for enthusiastic supporters to become Brooke Champions and raise vital funds and spread awareness of our work. This might include representing us at an event, helping at a collection or becoming a Brooke speaker. Our regional fundraisers across the UK will give you a warm welcome and lots of support. To find out more, email us at: community@thebrooke.org

Overseas Trips 2021

Would you be interested in

travelling to see Brooke’s work in action?

We’re planning our first fundraising trip to India

in March 2021 so supporters can see the impact

of our work.

If you're interested in finding out more, please

email community@thebrooke.org.

YOUR SPECIAL GIFT. EASE SUFFERING FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT LEAVING A SPECIAL GIFT IN YOUR WILLvisit: www.thebrooke.org/legacies email: legacies@thebrooke.org call: 020 7470 9343

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60In many poor areas around the world, owners are reliant on their working animals to help them earn money. That’s why Brooke train people like Khadim Ali to help take better care of his animals.

We helped Khadim share his skills and knowledge, and he now runs community training sessions which improve welfare for working animals.

It’s only possible because of people like you. With a special gift in your Will, you can help our life-changing work continue for generations to come.

Khadim Ali works in the brick kilns of Pakistan with his mule, Sherra.