Newbury care home Winchcombe Place receives surprise visit from Barney the donkey

A Newbury care home resident was delighted to receive a surprise visit from her favourite animal last month.

Winchcombe Place resident Mavis McNaught, 93, has been fond of donkeys since she was a child when she used to spend time with them on beaches or farms during family holidays.

As her love for donkeys grew, Mrs McNaught began to volunteer at local sanctuaries to help look after them.

The team at Care UK’s Winchcombe Place discovered this and so arranged a visit from Barney the donkey from Kelly’s Donkeys last month to meet Mrs McNaught and her fellow residents.

She said: “I loved spending time with Barney. My favourite part was when he wiped his nose on me, it was really funny.

“I absolutely love donkeys. I used to volunteer and look after poorly animals, which was so rewarding.”

The visit was part of the care home’s wishing tree initiative, which encourages residents to put wishes forward, allowing them to reconnect with a past hobby or try something completely new.

Home manager at Winchcombe Place Shirley Summerbell said: “Mavis is always sharing fond memories of her time spent with donkeys in her younger days, so the team knew she’d be delighted by the chance to see the animals up close again.

“Our wishing tree initiative is a great way for residents to share their dreams and passions, and it’s incredibly rewarding to be able to make these a reality.

“Mavis and her friends had a wonderful time meeting Barney and it provided a lovely opportunity to exchange treasured memories.

“I’d like to extend a big thank you to Kelly, Barney, and the team here at Winchcombe Place for making Mavis’s wish come true.”