School children in Buckinghamshire went bananas
Zoe Bradford, 13, Louisa Johns, 12, Milly Collier, 13 and Kate Bamford, 12, from Aylesbury High School and Kate’s brother Alex, 10, from Overstone Combined School in Wing were sponsored to eat only fruit for breakfast, lunch and dinner for 48 hours on Wednesday 11 July.
`We think it’s just brilliant that the Brooke not only helps working equine animals but also their owners,’ says Zoe, who hit on the idea for the event after she and her friends came across fruitarianism, an extreme variation of vegetarianism, while researching their food technology homework. `Luckily we like fruit, though not all types. I can’t stand peaches and we all hate pears!’
Dyfi donkeys went for a dawdle
Aberdyfi beach donkeys - Moses, Muffin, Twister and Delaney - completed a three mile ‘Dyfi Donkey Dawdle’.
Louise Aveline, who runs Mulod Dyfi Donkeys, said, “We had an excellent response with nearly fifty people, including lots of children, coming along! All the children had a ride, and we exceeded our target of raising £300, so I would like to thank everyone for their support. I couldn’t have asked for a better day!”
Students in Lancashire walked 60 miles on a treadmill
Equine Science students Natasha Rose and Katherine Fidler of Myerscough College, Preston, put their physical strength to the test on Wednesday 25 July as they each walked 30 miles on treadmills.
To illustrate what many hard working equines endure, Katherine and Natasha both carried weighted back packs too. And not only that they also completed the distance in donkey fancy dress, complete with ears and tails!
"Katherine and I both care a lot about horses so when we found out about the Brooke's Horses in Need appeal we knew we wanted to help", says Natasha. “We chose this challenge to try and put ourselves in the animals’ shoes – they walk very long distances every day with heavy loads, so a hard day's walking for us will be worth every sponsorship penny raised!"
Sisters in East Anglia organised a spectacular stall at their local fete
East Anglian schoolgirl Claire Codling, 11, and her sister Anna, 15, ran a stall in aid of the Brooke at their school, Welland Community High, annual fete on Saturday 7 July.
And what a great stall it was! As well as selling cakes they had baked themselves and holding a ‘Guess the Horse’s Name’ competition, the dynamic duo also ran a raffle with impressive prizes. `They wrote off to large local business asking for prizes,’ said their mum, Gina. `I couldn’t believe the response.
`The prizes included a day out at Great Yarmouth races, a family ticket for a visit to the National Stud at Newmarket, a prize from Norwich’s Evolution store and Anglia TV cuddly toys! I’m so proud of them.’
A Nottingham teenager organised a charity fun day to be proud of
Not many 13 year-olds dream up, organise and run full-scale charity fun days of a scale to rival your average school fete. But that's exactly what Emily Hanstock from Long Eaton, Nottingham did on Saturday 28 July.
She held an equine fun day at Risley Saddlery, Risley. It featured a full-scale car boot sale, a huge tombola with dozens of prizes, a raffle, children’s face painting, a paint-a-pony art competition, a tin-can alley stall (built and run by her brother Anthony, 12), the obligatory bouncy castle…and trade stands galore run by local companies. There was also a fashion show and auction to round things off!
Emily, who recruited family and friends to help, raised an awesome £1750!
Emily began her fundraising mission when she read about the Brooke: `I couldn’t stand the way the horses suffer and look so sad,’ she says. `I felt so sorry for them that I had to do something.’
A Sheffield schoolgirl got herself in a skating spin
Schoolgirl Evie Brailsford from Gleadless, Sheffield, used her ice-skating talent to help horses in need on Sunday 22 July. Evie, aged 12, skated around her local ice rink 100 times!
Evie, who loves horses, first read about the Brooke’s work in 2006, and knew straight away she wanted to get involved with the campaign.
“Last year Evie baked and sold cakes for Horses in Need – she put so much effort into it, we were really proud of her”, says her mum, Anne. “Last year she raised an impressive £20, so when she told me she’d like to help the Brooke again, I had no doubt she would be as determined as ever!”
The people of Maxey, Peterborough were on the hunt for treasure
Treasure hunts, pony rides and games were the order of the day on Sunday 29 July, thanks to Lucille Bingham and Katy Lamyman of Maxey, Peterborough.
Together the pair organised a fun day to rival any village fete - there was a 10-mile treasure hunt on horseback, a BBQ, pony rides and games for children, as well as a raffle with some great prizes up for grabs!
"Katy and I both care a lot about horses so when we found out about the Brooke's Horses in Need appeal we knew we wanted to help", says Lucille. “We thought a treasure hunt and all-round fun day would be a great way to get local people involved."
There are some great pictures in the Horses in Need photo gallery, so don't forget to take a look! | 
