Source:  News Release

Autumn comes to The Donkey Sanctuary

With the undeniable onset of autumn, international animal welfare charity, The Donkey Sanctuary, today announces an exciting new programme of events taking place at its headquarters in Sidmouth over the coming months. 

The programme, which is available from the Visitors’ Centre at The Donkey Sanctuary, contains the full programme of events for the autumn, along with advanced notice of the charity’s Christmas celebrations.

 As well as a jam-packed series of regular walks, talks and demonstrations, there are a number of large events and several new additions to the autumn programme.  Not least of these is the touching annual Memorial Day on Saturday 1 October - a unique opportunity to remember loved ones with flowers and reed crosses adorning the memorials within the Sanctuary's grounds and a poignant Memorial Service.

Crafters may like to check out The Donkey Sanctuary’s fundraising Autumn Craft Fair on Sunday 9 October, with a wide range of handmade goodies on offer to tempt and inspire.  Crafts of a more festive nature will be on show at a Christmas Fair hosted by The Donkey Sanctuary’s sister charity The Elisabeth Svendsen Trust for Children and Donkeys on Saturday 3 December.  The Christmas Fair will include festive activities, a Santa’s grotto, craft stalls, carols, festive decorations, games, a silent auction, raffle and refreshments.

Schools may not have long returned for the autumn term, but half term is not far away.  There are plenty of half term events for families and younger visitors over the October break, including Halloween Holiday Hunts (daily, 22 – 31 October) and an afternoon of Halloween themed activities including a spooky lucky dip and fancy dress (Tuesday 25 October). A spooky visit to the Sanctuary after dark on 27 October for a Halloween Evening Extravaganza brings together ghost walks, haunting smugglers tales, a 'terrifying' trailer ride and a scary menu at the Sanctuary’s Hayloft Restaurant.

Emma Gill, PR Officer for The Donkey Sanctuary, says: “The Donkey Sanctuary’s new programme of events is all you need to take away the chill of the autumn months.  Whether you are looking for days out with the family, crafting inspiration for homemade goodies or some advance warning of our half term and Christmas activities, you need look no further.  As a charity, we are always keen to invite people to see the work that we do, and I hope that our fun-packed programme of events will encourage lots of people to visit the Sanctuary over the coming months.”

To find out more about events taking place at The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth, please call 01395 573156 or visit www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/visit.