January volunteer of the month - Olivia Jones, Shrewsbury
Brooke’s first volunteer of the month for 2021 is 13 year old Olivia Jones from Shrewsbury, who recently raised £269 by creating a plethora of hand crafted festive decorations and hosting a Covid-safe driveway sale on 2 December.
Her decorations included bottle lights, plants pots, felled wood reindeer, pine cone place holders and origami butterfly bookmarks. These were all handmade with the use of easily accessible, foraged or simple household items, and raised a total of £245. Alongside the driveway sale, Olivia created a commissioned artwork for her headmaster, raising an additional £24.
In fact, some of Olivia’s decorations were so popular ahead of time that she was worried she’d have none to sell on the day. She said: “We kept getting orders and reserves for our wooden reindeers and I was worried I would have none to sell on my stall. But, in the end we had a few small ones left and they too sold very quickly.”
Commenting on why she chose to fundraise for Brooke, Olivia said: “Animals have always had a special place in my heart, especially horses and donkeys. I have a horse called Humbug, he is a cheeky boy and he has a great life filled with food and love. However, it saddens me to think some of our four legged friends aren’t given the treatment and respect they deserve. That’s why I chose Brooke as the charity I would fundraise for and I hope my donation helps horses and donkeys all over the world to live a happy and healthy life.”