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Hip, hip hooray for 2024!

2023 was a fantastic year for MiniDonks with more visits delivered, and more smiles created, than ever before.

We have lots of plans in the pipeline for 2024, including new people joining our team. We also have some challenges ahead with the MD booked in for a much-needed hip replacement.

If you are looking to book a MiniDonks visit for this year, please note that we are now looking at August 2024 at the earliest. Please email us, or fill in the booking form and a member of our team will be in touch.

Thank you to everyone who supports our work and spreads the MiniDonk love. We’d be grateful for your patience whilst Sarah recovers from her operation.

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What do we do?

We bring our gentle and friendly miniature donkeys to your community group, voluntary organisation, dementia group or special needs group.

We are based in South Norfolk and operate across Norfolk, Suffolk, East Cambridgeshire and North Essex. Basically, we visit anywhere where a mood boosting donkey visit would help people with their wellbeing.

If you want our donkeys to come to a Wedding, Private Party, Event or even a Funeral we can do that too.

Miniature Donkeys in stable
Big Smile

Why do we do it?

Having worked with family carers professionally and having been a family carer for two parents with dementia, the group’s founder knows firsthand how stress can be relieved by spending time with these beautiful animals.

Sarah lost her mum to dementia in April 2017 and took the decision to set up a social enterprise to bring the benefits of interacting with mini donkeys to as wide an audience as possible.

Office Donkeys

How do you book a visit?

If you would like to find out more about how our visits work or would like to book a visit, you can e-mail us, give us a call or download a booking form.

Our visits do book up quite quickly and if you have a specific date in mind (wedding, summer fete, special birthday) call us to reserve your date. Bookings are confirmed on receipt of a completed booking form.

Mini Donks on Facebook

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

OK Minidonkers. We need your help. As you know, we get regular spammers trying to get you to send them friend requests. We also had a heart stopping moment a few weeks ago when Facebook experienced “issues”. Well, we have now had a couple of messages, supposedly from Meta, saying that they are going to shut our account down due to inappropriate content.
I am pretty sure these are scam messages, trying to get me to click on a dodgy link, but I would just like some reassurance from some of you lovely regular Minidonkers, that you are still seeing our posts, that you can still comment, and that everything seems to be running as usual.
Jack and Nino are both looking very worried 😟
**** UPDATE ****
Thank you all for your comments and reassurance - my mind is much easier and I have told Jack and Nino that they can sleep easy tonight. Xxx
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OK Minidonkers. We need your help. As you know, we get regular spammers trying to get you to send them friend requests. We also had a heart stopping moment a few weeks ago when Facebook experienced “issues”. Well, we have now had a couple of messages, supposedly from Meta, saying that they are going to shut our account down due to inappropriate content.
I am pretty sure these are scam messages, trying to get me to click on a dodgy link, but I would just like some reassurance from some of you lovely regular Minidonkers, that you are still seeing our posts, that you can still comment, and that everything seems to be running as usual. 
Jack and Nino are both looking very worried 😟
**** UPDATE ****
Thank you all for your comments and reassurance - my mind is much easier and I have told Jack and Nino that they can sleep easy tonight. XxxImage attachment

Comment on Facebook

All received 💖

I can still see your posts 👍🏼

All received ❤️

We’ve gotten the same thing. I forwarded them to Facebook and they were scams.

Love seeing your posts xxx

Just seen your post. These scamming folk are getting more and more devious. Had an email this week purporting to be from someone I know (a bit) who wanted me to send an Apple voucher to someone else (unspecified) purporting to be urgent, because he was away from home and having problems with internet. I ignored it. Am now even more sure it wasn't him in the first place.

Everything all ok here. Ignore the messages from scammers!

i’ve just seen lovely photos as usual

Yes can see your posts and LOVE ❤️ them x

Yep, all visible x

Still seeing posts. I manage a PTA page and have had the same messages looking like they are from meta. We just ignored They defo are spam. Happy Easter to you all. Xxx

❤️🐾 all ok

I see them ❤️

All good here xxx

These scam messages are rife.. I have received a few over the past few months. If you ever want to know if a violation is genuine, go into your settings and i think its under security.. there is a section somewhere that shows any genuine correspondence from fb. Only ever respond to anything in there to be sure.

There seem to be more and more problems with FB and other social media platforms but, as yet, I can still receive your wonderful updates.

I’m seeing your posts way over here in the county 😂 . Sending hugs and cuddles to Jack and Nino.. and to the rest of the herd as well x

I still get all your posts!

Tell Jack & Nino not to worry. All is good. 😊

Can see your lovely posts x

💜

Don’t look worried Jack and Nino. Everything is ok ❤️

I can see your posts

AOK for me

All seems normal this end!

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Whoop whoop 🙌 We have some really lovely supporters out there and their support will all be coming together this weekend. Castle Quarter have supported us for years, inviting us to bring our shop (and sometimes donkeys too!) to share the Minidonk Magic. Our wonderful band of Minidonk Makers have been knitting, crocheting and stitching away, to bring you the most creative, imaginative and fun range of “wellbeings”. Will Ava the avocado 🥑 make an appearance, will your favourite positive potatoes 🥔appear in special Easter form? And then our wonderful team of volunteers will be there to tell you all about our well-being work, and help you choose the Wellbeing to meet your needs! (The donkeys will not be in attendance at this event, but will be back visiting Castle Quarter later in the year.)The ever-popular Miniature Donkeys for Wellbeing: Dinky Donk Pop-Up Stand is at the Castle Quarter this Friday and Saturday. They have a selection of mini-donkey-themed goodies for everyone.

Please note the mini-donkeys will not be in attendance.

#castlequarter #alwaysareason #shopdinewatchplay #community #Norwich
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Whoop whoop 🙌 We have some really lovely supporters out there and their support will all be coming together this weekend. Castle Quarter have supported us for years, inviting us to bring our shop (and sometimes donkeys too!) to share the Minidonk Magic. Our wonderful band of Minidonk Makers have been knitting, crocheting and stitching away, to bring you the most creative, imaginative and fun range of “wellbeings”. Will Ava the avocado 🥑 make an appearance, will your favourite positive potatoes 🥔appear in special Easter form? And then our wonderful team of volunteers will be there to tell you all about our well-being work, and help you choose the Wellbeing to meet your needs! (The donkeys will not be in attendance at this event, but will be back visiting Castle Quarter later in the year.)

Comment on Facebook

Looks amazing Linda, loving the new lines💕

Beautiful ❤️

Looks amazing x happy selling xx 💖🫏💖🫏💖🫏💖🫏💖🫏

If you fancy some springtime retail therapy, the Minidonk Pop Up Shop will be out and about! The donkeys are still enjoying their extended break and the MD is still on the injury bench, unable to drive, so these events will be pure retail luxury (no donkeys). You might fancy one of our new calendars, you might want to pick up one of our exciting range of knitted beauties, or you might want to explore our wondeful range of “well-beings” from positive potatoes (some with a special Easter surprise!), to Ava the avocado 🥑, bananas 🍌 , peas 🫛 carrots 🥕 - so many to choose from and all of which will help to cheer up a friend or family member and send a positive message to a loved one.

Our first three spring events are
Emmaus Spring Festival, Ditchingham, Saturday 23rd March from 10 - 3pm
Castle Quarter (inside event) Good Friday, 29th March 9am -4pm
Castle Quarter (inside event) Saturday 30th March 9am - 4pm
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Comment on Facebook

Jessica Taylor

We are on the lookout 👀 for people to join our awesome Minidonk Visit Volunteer team! What we need from our visit volunteers:
Can do attitude
Able to get yourself to our rural location for induction and training sessions, and able to get yourself to our well-being visits which may be at remote rural locations across Norfolk and Suffolk
Physically able to lift a certain amount of weight (carrying aluminium sheep hurdles, unloading and putting up gazebos as part of a team, able to lead donkeys and anchor on if they spot a bunch of flowers before you do!)
A commitment to equality, diversity and safeguarding
A sense of fun 🤩
To be available to come out on our visits on a regular basis. We understand that this will vary from person to person, we just need to know what time you will be able to commit
What we can offer you:
Being part of the best volunteer team in the whole world 🌎 (we are biased, but our volunteers really are a wonderful bunch of people)
Training and support to learn all about donkey behaviour, handling and welfare
The opportunity to use some of your time to make a real difference to people on every single visit
Payment of expenses for travel and any out of pocket expenses
Spending time with our most important team members - the Minidonks.

We are based in rural South Norfolk and our visits take place across Norfolk, Suffolk, East Cambridgeshire and North Essex. Volunteers travel with us on the Minidonk lorry for our further afield visits.

We do have other volunteering opportunities, for example with our wonderful team of Minidonk Makers, which will share more information about in due course.
If you think you could spare some time to help us deliver our wonderful well-being visits, please email volunteer@minidonks.org.Uk
Thank you 😊
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Comment on Facebook

Wish I lived closer. I would love to volunteer with you ! Bit of a long commute from USA though 🫏♥️🫏

Would love to do this but, unfortunately, haven't got my own transport.

When I retire please may I join.....

Would like an update of the info to be one of your mini donks makers again!

Glenda Taylor

Would love to help. I work as a co farmer on a care farm in wickham market I’m based in Claydon Suffolk

If only I didn’t work full time otherwise would be there x

Sarah

If only I lived closer and wasn't allergic to horses! 🤣

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It’s been a busy old week at Minidonk HQ. The lovely Claire Hughes has joined us a Deputy Manager and the incomparable Julie Andrews is cracking on with booking in all our rescheduled visits and all the visit enquiries we have had in the last couple of months. Our very own super-merchandiser Linda White has been busy finding new outlets to stock our wares, organising shop events and liaising with our wondeful team of Minidonk Makers. And our volunteer team have been visiting the donks in their holiday accommodation, keeping them ticking over and reminding them that they are therapy donkeys, not a herd of wild hooligans! Added to that we have our annual monitoring report for our super-funders The National Lottery Community Fund to finalise and submit, along with new funding bids to complete, policies to update, accounts to finalise and new volunteer induction sessions to organise. Pheww! The MD is making a steady recovery and is looking forward to being back behind the wheel, being out and about delivering our very special brand of Minidonk Magic. ... See MoreSee Less

Comment on Facebook

A a very busy time by the sounds of it. Glad everyone is okay and that you’re on the road to recovery. So looking forward to seeing you all soon XX

Claire Hughes will be fab, love these pictures they are so lovely, what a lovely chance to bring so much happiness to so many people.

Absolutely beautiful pictures looks like a great time love to you all xxx xxx 💘💘💘💘

How lucky am I to get to work with such an amazing team. Sarah (MD) and Julie (awesome) have made me feel so welcomed and valued. I can't wait to meet the rest of the team and continue to make such a massive difference with each wave of the Minidonk magic wand. 😍🫏🐴🥕

Gorgeous photos love them ❤️ welcome Claire Hughes to the amazing team minidonks where I’m sure you will be made very welcome and very jealous of all the cuddles that you are going to get 😊🤗 x good to hear the MD is getting there also Linda White doing what she certainly is best at 🤩x have a blessed Sunday all x sending lots of love 💕 and snuggles to muzzles 💕🫏💕💕🫏💕🫏💕

It's all go 👍

Fabulous photo's as usual ❤️ welcome Clair Hughes to this amazing team at mini donkey's 😊 glad you are getting better now Sarah and back on your feet, sending big hugs and kisses to those wonderful donks 💘 🫏 💘 🫏 💘 🫏

Ooh that reminds me - we need more hats!

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On this Mothering Sunday I am remembering my mum. We lost her to dementia in 2017, and Minidonks was born out of my love for her, and seeing the effect my little donkeys had on her when we visited her in the care home where she lived for her final months. I know so many people who have lost loved ones to dementia, and caring for them can leave you with traumatic memories of the condition and the devastating effect it has on your loved one. As the years have passed, my memories of my mum have balanced out, and I am able to remember the mum of my childhood, the wise woman who loved me unconditionally, the generous soul who would always say she wished she could suffer the pain that her children were feeling if it meant we didn’t have to suffer, whether it be physical, sickness or emotional pain.
Thank you mum. I hope you would be proud of your legacy.
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On this Mothering Sunday I am remembering my mum. We lost her to dementia in 2017, and Minidonks was born out of my love for her, and seeing the effect my little donkeys had on her when we visited her in the care home where she lived for her final months. I know so many people who have lost loved ones to dementia, and caring for them can leave you with traumatic memories of the condition and the devastating effect it has on your loved one. As the years have passed, my memories of my mum have balanced out, and I am able to remember the mum of my childhood, the wise woman who loved me unconditionally, the generous soul who would always say she wished she could suffer the pain that her children were feeling if it meant we didn’t have to suffer, whether it be physical, sickness or emotional pain. 
Thank you mum. I hope you would be proud of your legacy.

Comment on Facebook

Sending you love Sarah McPherson xx

Big hugs xx

Lost my mum .. in 1993.. cruel thing altzheimers

Sending lots of love and hugs Sarah xx ❤️❤️❤️

❤️ ❤️

Hope it’s ok to share your lovely poem Sarah ? We’re on the journey…

My mum passed away last September with Alzheimer’s 💜I know that your lovely donks visited the residential home the December before - and this lovely photo was captured of Mum. An outsider may not see it but this photo fills me with warmth as I can imagine what Mum was thinking. Thank you for all the great work that you do 💕🫏

💞

Exactly the same story here (but with ponies not donks). Lost mum Nov 21 to dementia 😔💔

My dear friend had dimensia went everyday to her nursing home how I started taking my donkeys

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Gooooood Mooorrning Minidonkers!
We hope you are having a good morning so far. We have an update for you on how 2024 is shaping up for us. We have been working hard behind the scenes to get all our booking enquiries allocated. For those of you who are new to our page, our reason for being is to deliver well-being visits, with our wonderful Minidonks, to people who would not be able to access animal therapy without a visit, to the place they live, or learn or visit. So we visit care homes, hospitals, dementia day services, special schools, psychiatric units, hospices, prisons, community groups, mainstream schools, sheltered housing units……… the list is endless. As a social enterprise, we do charge for our visits, but try to keep the cost as affordable as possible, and we do have some funding from The National Lottery Community Fund that means that we can subsidise the full cost of a visit, for some groups and organisations, in cases of genuine financial need.
So, our main purpose is delivering donkey joy, one visit at a time. We do have to balance the books and the income we earn from visits comes nowhere near meeting our running costs. We have an amaaaazing band of additional volunteers, our Minidonk Makers, who knit and stitch and crochet behind the scenes, making wonderful items for sale on our Pop Up shop. The force of nature that is Linda White works tirelessly, seeking out new sales opportunities and outlets and running our Pop Up shop at events and venues across the year.
Very soon, we will be ready to update our website with all our public evens for 2024. These are events where you wonderful people can come along and meet the team (four legged and two legged), buy some of our wonderful Minidonk merchandise. There will be some events this year where the shop will be there without the donkeys, allowing for a pure retail experience with no distractions!
For those of you wanting to book a donkey visit, please bear with us. We are still working through the backlog of enquiries and we will get back to you as soon as is humanly possible.
We are in the process of expanding the human team, which will make a huge difference, and who knows, maybe there will be some news about expanding the donkey team in the pipeline!!!
Thank you all for your support. It has been a challenging time at Minidonks in recent months. Growth is always difficult, but from one girl, who had a dream of making life a bit brighter for people after losing her mum to dementia, to the amazing, fabulous team that we have today, has been the most amazing, uplifting and inspiring journey.
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Gooooood Mooorrning Minidonkers! 
We hope you are having a good morning so far. We have an update for you on how 2024 is shaping up for us. We have been working hard behind the scenes to get all our booking enquiries allocated. For those of you who are new to our page, our reason for being is to deliver well-being visits, with our wonderful Minidonks, to people who would not be able to access animal therapy without a visit, to the place they live, or learn or visit. So we visit care homes, hospitals, dementia day services, special schools, psychiatric units, hospices, prisons, community groups, mainstream schools, sheltered housing units……… the list is endless. As a social enterprise, we do charge for our visits, but try to keep the cost as affordable as possible, and we do have some funding from The National Lottery Community Fund that means that we can subsidise the full cost of a visit, for some groups and organisations, in cases of genuine financial need.
So, our main purpose is delivering donkey joy, one visit at a time. We do have to balance the books and the income we earn from visits comes nowhere near meeting our running costs. We have an amaaaazing band of additional volunteers, our Minidonk Makers, who knit and stitch and crochet behind the scenes, making wonderful items for sale on our Pop Up shop. The force of nature that is Linda White works tirelessly, seeking out new sales opportunities and outlets and running our Pop Up shop at events and venues across the year.
Very soon, we will be ready to update our website with all our public evens for 2024. These are events where you wonderful people can come along and meet the team (four legged and two legged), buy some of our wonderful Minidonk merchandise. There will be some events this year where the shop will be there without the donkeys, allowing for a pure retail experience with no distractions! 
For those of you wanting to book a donkey visit, please bear with us. We are still working through the backlog of enquiries and we will get back to you as soon as is humanly possible. 
We are in the process of expanding the human team, which will make a huge difference, and who knows, maybe there will be some news about expanding the donkey team in the pipeline!!!
Thank you all for your support. It has been a challenging time at Minidonks in recent months. Growth is always difficult, but from one girl, who had a dream of making life a bit brighter for people after losing her mum to dementia, to the amazing, fabulous team that we have today, has been the most amazing, uplifting and inspiring journey.

Comment on Facebook

💞 great team doing great work 👏👏👏👏

I was talking about you and your general awesome-ness just the other day. Keep doing all your doing. Sorry it’s been a tough start to the year but hopefully brighter times to come xx

You and the amazing team are awesome. Thank you for all that you do, take care of yourselves. Love and thoughts always ❤️💜🩷💙💚

It looks like you have amazing things to come, that has to be exciting! You have had a real tough time and I hope your recovery is going well 🥰 here's to better and brighter times ahead! Take care one and all xx

Onwards and upwards! It is very good for the soul to look back at where you started to where you are now and to realise how far you have come, how much you have done and how many lives you have brightened along the way. Huge congratulations for the work so far.

You are all amazing don’t forget that ever you bring so much joy to those who see you xx

Love you all xx especially those with furry ears 😁 xxx

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How do donkeys learn? In this case by observation, instinct, and mimicking. Here is your all time favourite video of a tiny baby donkey, our very own Little Jack Rabbit, at just a few days old, watching his mum have a roll. He watches what she is doing. He is very curious and impatient (look out for the tail flicks and head flicks to get his mum to move out of the way ). He just can’t wait to have a go at this strange behaviour ... See MoreSee Less

Comment on Facebook

And now he rolls in Drs surgery staff rooms Lisa Whitehead 😂 x

How sweet. Dear little Jack. Xx

Absolutely beautiful bless him xxx 💘💘💘

How lovely he’s enjoying that 💕

Stunning 😍

Oh bless him. He’s adorable

One of my favourite videos x bless his heart 💕🫏💕

Love them xx

Aww bless little jack, beautiful video xx 🫏 💘 🫏 💘 🫏 💘

So adorable 🥰🥰

Bless

How adorable ❤️❤️

🥰

🥰

So cute 🥰

Absolutely gorgeous ❤️❤️

❤️

Cute pie

Oh how precious

So cute

Tanya Longmuir 😍😍

Jessica Hamilton ❤️

That’s so darn cute.

Awww hope sweet

So cute!! 😂🤣

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Unfortunately, MAUDE is currently sold out, please mail sponsor@minidonks.org.uk if you would like to pre-order.

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Feedback from previous visits

It was all fantastic but the room visits were the best. Had me in tears the reactions we had.

You get smiles where nothing else can – thank you so much

It was the most special visit for our residents, staff and extended families. Thank you so much.

The main highlight has to be with one resident who never leaves her bedroom. This lady suffers from dementia and the donkeys visited her in her bedroom. As soon as she saw them her face lit up. She absolutely loved them.

You guys (most of all the donkeys) are awesome. Bringing joy and happiness to people who can’t get out easily. Keep up the good work

Thank you, they were amazing. The patients loved them.

The residents enjoyed interacting with the donkeys and being able to touch them. They were interested to hear all about them and they loved them being in the lounge as most of the residents are not able to get outside.

We were delighted with your visit, all ages and abilities loved the friendly donkeys.

The donkeys came to visit our tenants and Pippin went into the room of a very poorly lady. The look on her face was priceless. Thank you for bringing some joy and love to our setting.

You kindly took two little donkeys into my wife’s room, to say it made our day is very much an understatement, in fact my wife said ‘it is something I will never forget’.

Your visit encouraged the residents outside into the sunshine. They enjoyed stroking and interacting with the donkeys as well as chatting to each other. So nice to see them enjoying themselves. Thank you.

My mum is one of the residents you refer to. I visited her this evening, words are a struggle but she was definitely trying to tell me about the donkeys! Thank you so much for visiting her.

Highlights were being able to have the donkeys up close even for residents nursed in bed, to be able to tell residents’ families about the visit and have photos to show them. Sarah and volunteers went out of their way to make it a special visit. More visits, more donkeys, we love you!

Pixie and Bo Peep were the best behaved donkeys ever, our residents thoroughly enjoyed their visit… I cannot recommend Sarah, her donkeys and fabulous volunteers enough.

Amazing reactions of residents, especially those with restricted communication. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Smiles all round, thank you.

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