Retired beach donkeys delight kids at Flintshire school

A trailer company came to the rescue when a pair of retired seaside donkeys needed transport to entertain some young friends at a Flintshire School.

Ifor Williams Trailers stepped in to taxi Billie, a 24-year-old veteran of the beach at New Brighton on the Wirral, and Kyle, a sprightlier 14-year-old, to Ysgol Pen Coch, in Flint.

They sent a brand-new trailer out to the River Link Donkey Sanctuary, near Greenacres Animal Park, in Hawarden, to do the honours.

It meant that all 99 children at the school, which caters for pupils with additional needs from across Flintshire, could meet the friendly donkeys.

Their visit proved hugely popular, according to head teacher Noel Fitzgerald who said: “The children really loved it. Our school is for children with additional learning needs and experiences like this can be difficult to arrange because actually taking the children somewhere can be challenging.

“But Ifor Williams Trailers stepped in to bring the donkeys here and the children thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a beautiful experience for them and I think the donkeys enjoyed it too.

“All the children took part and they all enjoyed it – many of them have a visual impairment but they were able to enjoy interacting with the donkeys on a sensory level.”

The donkeys were delivered to the school by Dafydd Jones, Show Manager at Ifor Williams Trailers, who have factories in Deeside and Denbighshire, in one of the company’s iconic livestock trailers.

Dafydd said: “When the call came we were delighted to be able to help out.

“We are very committed to being involved in the local communities of the areas where we operate and it was lovely to see the children enjoying themselves meeting the donkeys who have spent their lives giving pleasure to thousands and even now in retirement they’re still doing so.”

Anna Gilowski, of Flintshire County Council’s Community Focused Schools, said: “I had been in touch with the donkey sanctuary as we wanted to bring them to the school and when we contacted Ifor Williams Trailers they were brilliant and stepped in to help.

“It’s been fantastic and all the children have been here giving the donkeys a brush and a pet and feeding them carrots and sweets, from the most severely disabled to the most able.

“We are really grateful to Ifor Williams Trailers because without them the children just wouldn’t have been able to have this experience.”

[Pictures by Mandy Jones Photography]