Delighted children at a Denbighshire primary school were given a Christmas surprise when two rescue donkeys trotted to their festive fair.
The appearance of Annie and Dugald was made possible thanks to a £150 donation from community-minded Lock Stock Self Storage, allowing the animals to be transported to Ysgol Gymraeg Henllan’s annual celebration.
The donkeys quickly became the stars of the show, enchanting pupils, parents and stall-holders as they greeted youngsters outside Henllan Church Institute.
Teaching assistant Bethan Roberts first suggested inviting the donkeys and contacted Denbigh-based Lock Stock whose team stepped in to cover the full cost of the visit by the Moel Famau Donkeys.
The funding enabled handlers to set up a special pen at the entrance to the fair where the animals were met with smiles, strokes and plenty of Yule Tide excitement.
Youngsters queued for a chance to meet Annie and Dugald, with friends Caitlyn Watkins and Poppy Hughes, both nine, describing the scene “like the nativity come to life”.
Caitlyn said: “They’re lovely. It’s like being able to see the donkey in the Christmas nativity stable.”
According to Lock Stock Self Storage marketing officer Ollie Beech, it was a truly heart-warming occasion.
He said: “As a company which has grown from small beginnings, starting in Denbigh 25 years ago, we have never lost sight of our roots and of the communities who have supported us and helped us succeed over the years.
“So, when it comes to helping with good causes and bringing a smile to local faces we are always pleased to help. We want to pay back the communities who do so much for us and without whom we could not continue to expand and thrive.
“The idea to bring the donkeys to this annual fair was such a simple one but one which we knew had the potential to bring huge pleasure to all the school pupils, their friends and families who have attended. We were happy to foot the bill for that and help the Christmas festivities in Henllan get off to a galloping start.”
The two donkeys Annie and Dugald were both taken in by Moel Famau Donkeys from Goblin Farm Park, Denbigh, after it recently closed.
Moel Famau Donkeys guide Lorraine Jones said both animals were used to greeting people.
She said: “Donkeys are very sociable creatures and these two are among the most sociable of all. They love greeting people and being the centre of attention.
“Both of them are aged about 13 and they have happily fitted in very well with our other donkeys at Moel Famau. We have eight in all and they have become one big happy family.”
Dugald is known to be quite a fun, mischievous character and likes to go on lots of walks, while Annie is a quieter temperament, but loves to meet new people.
Lorraine added: “Both of them are great with children and are happy to be patted, which makes them ideal to take on school visits.”
Ysgol Gymraeg Henllan headteacher Lynne Jones said the donkeys’ visit was one of the highlights of the fair, where a range of local crafts people and charities held stalls in the packed Church Institute Hall.
She said: “It really was filled with festive cheer thanks to everyone who helped organise it and to local company Lock Stock for sponsoring the donkeys visit.”
She also thanked Lock Stock for supporting a creative “Design a Donkeys Christmas Jumper” competition for school pupils to take part in.
Ollie Beech explained: “Earlier this year we did some work with a donkey charity in Snowdonia, providing it with a 40-feet storage unit to act as a store facility and also provide some shelter for the animals.
“That project inspired us to create a company mascot in a donkey design. So we thought, with winter coming on, it would be fun to design a jumper for our mascot and we asked pupils of Ysgol Gymraeg Henllan to help.”
Lock Stock ran two competitions for different age groups, with three winners eventually chosen in each category.
The winners were presented with festive goody bags, and everyone who took part in the competition also received a certificate thanking them for their hard work.
The winners in Year 4,5 and 6 were: 1,Ela; 2, Elsa; and 3, Ianto; and the winners in Reception were 1, Tomi; 2, Ada; and 3, Ezra.
Lynne Jones added: “Children across the school produced bright and imaginative jumper designs. To make the activity even more special Lock Stock kindly provided certificates and prizes, helping to celebrate every child’s effort.
“We cannot thank them enough. They helped bring families, pupils and the community together during this joyful season, making our Christmas fair a memorable event for all.”
