There’s a wonderful video on the BBC website about an amazing couple who live in Morocco who have set up a retirement home, orphanage and care centre for working animals there.

The centre is in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains near Marrakech.

Charles Hantom is a retired solicitor from Manchester, and Susan Machin was a barrister in Manchester too.   They moved to Morocco and as well as caring for these equines, they also provide work for local people.  You can find out more about them here.

The muleteers are all Berbers raised alongside animals and who have ridden since childhood so they are experienced in the handling of donkeys and mules.

You can help by making a donation or adopting a mule or donkey.  And don’t miss Tommy’s Blog.

Thank you to Charles, Susan and the muleteers for all you’re doing to help the equines of Morocco. 

If you love crafts and you love animals, here’s a great chance to get crafty for animals who need help!

The National Animal Welfare Trust  have 6 re-homing centres in the south of England.  And they also have an NAWT Craft Club.   This is a great chance to join a team of supporters who get crafty to help the NAWT improve facilities at their centres, or to help fundraise by making items the charity can sell at events and open days.

Ideas include:

• Bunting
• Crochet cat balls
• Pet blankets
• Shopping bags
• Home-made cards
• Easter Egg hats

My Auntie Susan (actually in New Zealand) loved to knit and she loved cats so she began knitting blankets and squares for the local rescue centre.   She ended up being a feature in the local paper there and it gave her a real purpose and great pleasure to know her knitting was helping cats in the charity’s care.

Find out more and how to contact the NAWT here.

Does your search engine plant trees when you search for stuff online?

If not, please take a look at Ecosia.org. 

It's a rather amazing search engine because every time you search you can help plant a tree and it won't cost you anything!  On average it takes 45 searches to plant a tree but these days that won't take long to add up!

Ecosia's goal is to plant one billion trees and they've just hit the 40 million tree mark - so 40 million trees have been planted as a result of people using their search engine to search for stuff online.

Not only that, but you can buy t-shirts - and they'll plant 20 trees for every t-shirt you buy.  I bought one and I love the quality and feel of it - and best of all, I know my purchase is helping to plant trees :-) 

So take a look at Ecosia and plant trees as you search!