© Paul Dobson
The evening highlighted Brooke’s Every Horse Remembered campaign, which marks 100 years since the end of WW1 and pays tribute to the 8 million horses, donkeys and mules who lost their lives.
Guests at the dinner included Brooke patron and newscaster Alastair Stewart OBE, who gave a talk on his support for the charity and his love for equines. He also hosted a charity auction, which included the £1200 sale of a painting by local artist Stacey Moore, depicting miniature Shetland pony Little Alf with a poppy.
© Paul Dobson
Little Alf and his owner, bestselling children’s author Hannah Russell were appointed Every Horse Remembered ambassadors at the beginning of 2018 and have been raising awareness of the campaign throughout the year. Hannah was in attendance at the gala.
© Paul Dobson
Other guests included Brooke CEO Petra Ingram, Blackpool donkeys Shane and Cochise, who were on hand to greet guests at the start of the evening, and Take That tribute band Rule the World, who closed out the night with a set of the Manchester band’s greatest hits.
Senior Regional Fundraising Officer Caroline Robertson said: “The dinner was a truly unforgettable occasion and we are thrilled to have raised such a large amount to help even more working equines around the world. Thank you to everyone who made this evening possible, from our dedicated volunteers to our patron, Alastair Stewart. Events such as this are vital to furthering Brooke’s work and we’re looking forward to seeing what we can do next.”
© Paul Dobson
Currently, 100 million equines are working to support the livelihoods of over 600 million people in some of the poorest parts of the world. Brooke works with owners, governments, and local policy makers to make long lasting improvements to the lives of working horses, donkeys and mules and the people who depend on them.
