On 13th September this year (2015), one of our Franciscan Priests, Revd Dr Caroline Wilkins, ran the New Forest Half Marathon in aid of the Donkey Sanctuary.

Caroline was inspired to run for this charity because of their important work in Morocco with Ellen Cochrane where she is persuading mule handlers to swap their cruel bits for kind headcollars and is teaching them how to work gently with their mules. Caroline said "I have seen beautiful transformations take place with these mules and their handlers and feel passionately about supporting this project and the work of the Donkey Sanctuary in general."

It was a long and challenging run, which Caroline trained for over a 2 year period. But it was worth the work and the pain! Nearly £500 was raised for the Donkey Sanctuary with additional donations going to buy 1,000 metal rings that are being used by the Women's group in Morocco to manufacture their own bitless headcollars - thus providing work and industry for the women of the village and a legacy of ethical mule equipment which will ensure that the mules in this area of Morroco are able to work free from pain and distress.

You can read more about the work of Ellen Cochrane and the Donkey Sanctuary in Morroco here: https://www.facebook.com/atlasmules/?fref=ts

And you can read about the Donkey Sanctuary here: http://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk

If you would like to sponsor this Half Marathon run and the work of Ellen and the Donkey Sanctuary, you can do so here: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/bitlessinmorocco