Elisabeth Svendsen Trust

EST Belfast is holding an open Adoption Weekend on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th May from 10am to 3pm for the public to meet its group of donkeys and learn more about the work they do with Belfast’s children with additional needs.

The Donkey Sanctuary’s Templepatrick centre is also looking forward to celebrating its first birthday since being opened by The Princess Royal in June 2011. In the last twelve months, over 6,000 riding therapy sessions have been provided for children from across the province.

EST Belfast is appealing for more volunteers to help support its work. The centre provides riding therapy sessions that help those with physical disabilities to develop their strength, balance and coordination.

The charity relies on the help of volunteers who give up their spare time to help work with the children and the donkeys. Visits are made to local residential and nursing homes each year. The volunteers are involved in a wide range of tasks, such as grooming the donkeys and leading them through the corridors of the homes.

Belfast families are invited to take part in a spectacular Easter Egg Hunt being held by international animal welfare charity The Donkey Sanctuary on Sunday 1st April at 1pm to help raise funds for its Belfast donkey assisted therapy centre.

The centre in Templepatrick provides donkey assisted therapy for children with additional needs from across Belfast and its Parents and Friends Association is organising the fun Easter event to raise funds.

EST Belfast is holding a Nativity and carol service by candlelight on Sunday 18th December from 4pm.

The evening will include carols from the Glengormley Methodist Youth choir. Children who visit the centre throughout the year for riding therapy will be taking part in the Nativity procession accompanied by the centre’s donkeys.

Admission and parking at the centre is free and there will be plenty of delicious festive food along with opportunities for visitors to meet and greet the wonderful 13 donkeys and adopt one as an alternative Christmas gift.

Celebrity chef James Martin will be hosting a black tie dinner at Barnaby’s Restaurant, Ballyclare, on Thursday 22nd September from 7.00pm to raise funds for EST Belfast.

The ‘Dinner by James Martin’ event will include a four course meal and dancing to classic American songs provided by a top US Motown group and proceeds from the evening will be donated to Templepatrick’s Elisabeth Svendsen Trust for Children and Donkeys (EST) which was officially opened by the Princess Royal in June.

A local charity is today launching an appeal to find more volunteers to help support its work, providing donkey therapy to children with special needs and nursing home residents throughout County Antrim.