Two animal-loving school pals have raised £113 for an international charity that works to protect and improve the lives of working equines throughout the world.Dartington Primary pupils, Skyla Howarth and Harriet Van Weede, both 9, ran a bring-and-buy stall at their school to raise money for the Brooke charity, which helps more than 1.6 million horses, donkeys and mules across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

Skyla said: “I loved being behind a stall and feeling like I am going to make a difference.

“I liked raising money for a good cause and it was my first fundraiser ever.”

Brooke aims to make long lasting improvements to the lives of working horses, donkeys and mules and the people who depend on them.

With £113, Brooke will now be able to train two vets and provide up to three portable water troughs in brick kilns in places where fresh water is hard to find.

Skyla first heard about Brooke through equestrian YouTuber ‘This Esme’ who visited Brooke’s work in Senegal in 2019.

Skyla explained: “I thought, this is the charity that I want to fundraise for because they do such a good job looking after animals.

“I like how they use the money to help animals.”

A Brooke spokesperson said: “It’s down to fantastic fundraisers like Skyla and Harriet that we are able to make a difference to the lives of working horses and donkeys around the world.

“A huge thank you to Skyla and Harriet from everyone at Brooke.”

There are currently over 100 million horses, donkeys and mules working worldwide, earning an income that around 600 million people rely on to put food on their tables, send their children to school and build better futures for themselves and their families.

To find out more about how Brooke reaches these animals visit www.thebrooke.org