A day in the life of a Volunteer at The Donkey Sanctuary

For the past 13 years, come rain or shine, Julie has spent her Wednesday afternoons supporting the team at Brookfield Farm, part of our Sidmouth Sanctuary, helping to tend to the 330 donkeys there.

After a long career in IT and marketing had come to an end, a chance encounter with a volunteer from The Donkey Sanctuary led Julie to join a one-off volunteer induction course… and the rest was history! 13 years later, Julie remains a devoted volunteer. It’s special days - like the recent summer volunteer get-together- that remind her why.

The event brings together long-time staff, fellow volunteers, and supporters for an open day at Brookfield Farm. “There were so many smiling faces” Julie recalls, “and such genuine passion everywhere you looked. Days like that make you release just how much this place means to people - and why I keep coming back.”

Julie has played many roles over the years. As a tour guide at the Sidmouth Sanctuary, she would lead groups of visitors around the site, sharing stories about the donkeys and opening people’s eyes to the global work of the charity.

Julie explains: “Most people were not aware of the scale of what The Donkey Sanctuary does - from rescuing mistreated animals to supporting communities around the world. Many visitors chose to sponsor a donkey after my tour, which was always so rewarding.”

A day in the life of a volunteer

These days, a typical Wednesday for Julie starts by catching up with her fellow volunteers:

“There can be up to six volunteers on a Wednesday afternoon at Brookfield and over the last 10 years we have gotten to know each other so well. I really value spending time together and enjoying catch-ups or chatting about the donkeys. Together we make a good team.”

Once the grooms have updated them on which groups of donkeys to focus on and how they are getting on, the team collect their brushes and set out into the barns or fields - depending on the weather. The first stop is usually the older donkeys, who enjoy a slower and calmer pace of life.

“DD is a piebald older donkey who is getting on in years and has been through a few health problems recently,” Julie said. “He is always so friendly and happy to see me and the other volunteers. He has had to have five teeth out which was obviously uncomfortable for him, but with lots of cuddles and care he is getting used to eating again and back to his old self.”

“Another one of my favourites is Cadbury, a 20-year-old miniature dark grey donkey who is small but has a big heart! He is always the first to food, and he seems to know when I call him and eagerly comes over for a groom.”

Volunteers like Julie are an extra set of eyes, able to flag anything unusual to the grooms and help keep the donkeys happy and healthy. ‘I love their friendly and calm natures’, Julie explains, ‘I admire their stoic ways and appreciate that they are often misunderstood and mistreated, through a lack of understanding.’

After spending time with the first group, Julie heads over to the next set of donkeys, ready to offer the same care and attention.

The heart of the sanctuary  

Volunteers are an essential part of life at The Donkey Sanctuary. From hands-on care to public engagement, they bring skills, compassion and commitment that make our work possible.

Whether they’ve been with us for 13 years like Julie, or just a few weeks, every volunteer helps carry our mission forward - to make a better world for donkeys.

We want to say a heartfelt thank you to Julie- and to every single volunteer who gives their time, energy and dedication to our donkeys.