Christmas pony post raises funds for children

Tayvallich’s own version of the Pony Express will raise funds for children whose lives have been devastated this year by war.

Ponies Fairy and Misty will take to the streets of Tayvallich on Saturday December 7 delivering greetings cards throughout the village.

Their efforts will be boosted by donations to two of UNICEF’s vital charities: the Gaza appeal for Children in Crisis and the Urgent appeal for Children in Lebanon.

“This year I couldn’t get away from the images I’m seeing from Gaza and from Lebanon,” Pony Post organiser Mary-Lou Aitchison told the Advertiser.

“Families, just like us, but instead of trotting round Tayvallich delivering Christmas cards and wishing each other a merry Christmas, they are losing their loved ones to bombing, their kids are starving and their homes destroyed.”

Mary-Lou began the unusual delivery service last year.

“The idea of Pony Post was born in December 2023,” she explained. “We made ‘stamps’ out of potato prints, we put a big box for collecting cards and a jam jar for money in the Tayvallich village shop.

“I am lucky enough to have in my care, a very cute fluffy white pony called Fairy. She and her young rider don Santa hats and Fairy wears jiggle bells on her legs. We tramp around our village delivering Christmas cards and wishing people a Merry Christmas.

“Sometimes Fairy gets a carrot or we get a mince pie or some chocolate to fuel us onto our next delivery.”

This year Fairy the post pony has an apprentice, a younger, bigger, fluffy white pony called Misty.

Both ponies are small, so they limit their delivery service to central Tayvallich, but the hope is that donations made at the village shop will make play some part in spreading cheer to war-torn communities.

“When fundraising it’s always a bit daunting or depressing doing the research to find out where best to send your generously donated money,” Mary-Lou said.

“The unicef.org. website is very compelling; the reports of the conditions that families are living in are real and up-to-date. The donations seem to be well managed, working with Palestinian health authorities to reach the people in need in Gaza.

“UNICEF is also offering support to families in Lebanon via shelters that are so desperately needed for the thousands of displaced people.”