Jennie marks her 60th birthday with a long trek to raise £10,000 for five charities

A woman who has loved donkeys since her childhood is raising money for The Donkey Sanctuary through a 400-mile walk along the South West Coast Path.

Jennie Baylis decided to mark her 60th birthday by taking on the challenge of completing the trek in just 34 days, with the aim of raising £10,000 which will be split between five charities.

She will be walking the Exmouth to Sidmouth stage on Wednesday, August 1 and will host a free meditation session on the seafront at 5.30pm.

Jennie, who runs a retreat house in Dorset, is a keen supporter of The Donkey Sanctuary’s work. “Donkeys have a wonderful presence that is grounding, calming and comforting. My work aims to help people find an inner peace and calm in a similar way to the donkey-assisted therapy,” she said.

Her other charities are the South West Coast Path Association, Mision Mexico, The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society and the Tibet Relief Fund.