KIND-HEARTED members of the Bromsgrove community demonstrated their love for animals after donating £270 to the Animals Asia Foundation.
Christine Coldrick is the charity’s Worcestershire co-ordinator and spent the day raising awareness and collecting funds from compassionate residents when she set up her stall for the day on the High Street.
Christine has dedicated 15 years volunteering for the project which rescues bears from cruelty on farms in south-east Asia.
She said bears on the farms were caged and starved for their bile, which was used in Chinese medicine. She added one of the procedures included the insertion of a tube into the bear’s abdomen.
So far, the charity has rescued 530 bears and transported them to rescue centres in Chengdu China and Tam Dao Vietnam where they are provided with comfortable dens and semi-natural enclosures. There they are able to recover in safety in the company of other bears.
Christine said the foundation was first set up by Jill Gibson MBE 18 years ago when she discovered the farms.
Christine is originally from Bath and was a teacher at Worcester’s Abberley Hall School.
She said she was invited to stay at a sanctuary in China in 2014. “I saw exactly where the money went and what a brilliant charity it is, which is what inspired me to carry on doing what I do.”
The passionate animals rights activist has spent the summer raising awareness at towns across Worcestershire, and has raised a total of £1,449 this year.
