Rubyanne goes on run to help Thornberry Animal Sanctuary in North Anston

Nine-year-old Anston schoolgirl, Rubyanne Bailey, who ran over a mile every day throughout February to raise funds for Thornberry Animal Sanctuary

Rubyanne Bailey was inspired by her sister’s charity Santa Dash to hold her own fundraiser.

A great lover of animals, and the owner of guinea pigs, it was no surprise to her mum, Stacy Buxton, when Rubyanne chose Thornberry Animal Sanctuary in North Anston as her charity.

Rubyanne, a pupil at Anston Park Junior School, decided to run the length of a marathon throughout February, to raise much needed funds for the sanctuary.

Running over one mile every single day, she was determined to reach her goal – she even ran laps around her garden when she caught Covid-19.

Ged Jenkins-Omar, fundraising manager at Thornberry Animal Sanctuary, said: ‘Young people really are the future of animal charities like ours. It’s incredibly important that the younger generation continue to believe in animal welfare and charitable giving.

“Rubyanne really has set a brilliant example and she should be so proud of her achievements – we know we are!

“We’re currently raising funds for a variety of projects, but a strong focus is on expanding our vet room and ensuring that our equipment is of a high specification so we can continue to help as many local animals as possible. Every single penny of Rubyanne’s donation will help us achieve this goal.”

Rubyanne’s final mile ended at Thornberry Animal Sanctuary, where she was greeted by grateful staff and their oldest resident, 19 year old Labrador, Sammy.

The sanctuary started in 1988 and is one of the largest animal charities and rescue centres in South Yorkshire, covering South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire and North-East Derbyshire.

Their aim is to rehome as many animals as possible into secure homes for the remainder of their lives and care for those that are unable, for various reasons, to be adopted.

Thornberry relies on public donations, legacies and local business in order to continue their work. It also hosts many fundraising events throughout the year including summer and Christmas fairs and the much-loved Pooches in the Park.