Wallbarn supports international equine charity 

Equine charity Brooke, which works to alleviate the suffering of working horses, donkeys and mules around the world, has been boosted by a new year donation from construction system manufacturer Wallbarn.

The Croydon-based company, which produces award-winning modular green roof solutions and market-leading pedestal systems for raised floors, decided not to send Christmas cards and instead made a donation to Brooke, as Wallbarn Director Julian Thurbin explained:

“I’ve followed and supported the charity for many years and Christmas 2020 seemed the right time to forego company Christmas cards and instead make a donation to Brooke. I’ve ridden horses for many years, competing at showjumping and eventing to national level many years ago and read ‘The Lost War Horses of Cairo’, the story of Dorothy Brooke’s amazing quest to help war horses abandoned by the Imperial Army after World War 1 achieved peace, so feel an affinity with Brooke and the work it does to assist beasts of burden. The charity operates in 11 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America to relieve suffering and, importantly, liaise with local communities, organisations and governments to create lasting change for these animals and the families they support.”

The charity, which has the Duchess of Cornwall as its president, began in 1930 in Egypt when British cavalry officer’s wife Dorothy Brooke sought out former war horses put to work in Cairo and beyond following the end of the war. She raised enough money to ‘buy back’ 5,000 of them and went on to set up the Old War Horse Memorial Hospital in the Egyptian capital. In 2018/19 Brooke helped 1.7 million working horses, donkeys and mules and it currently works with some 8,700 equine-owning communities internationally, 4,200 healthcare providers (including vets and farriers) and 8,600 brick kilns, where its ‘One Health’ approach aims to tackle the negative impacts the brick kiln sector has on humans, animals and the environment across South Asia.

“Brooke is, first and foremost, an animal charity,” added Julian. “But it recognises that promoting good animal welfare can protect livelihoods, help feed families and send children to school in some of the poorest places in the world. It’s a great charity and one that we will continue to support.”