A BURY school for dancers has raised an impressive amount for Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary.

Janet Lomas School of Dancing raised £625 for Bleakholt’s Donkey Roof Appeal through several events throughout the borough, including a Christmas Jumper Week for their junior members and festive bash for their senior Silver Swans.

The Silver Swans also hosted Birmingham Royal Ballet soloist Laura Day.

The aim was to pay for a new roof for the sanctuary’s donkey stables, which is more than 25 years old and will cost £15,000 to replace.

Ballet teacher Johanna Hadley said: “From our youngest budding ballerinas to our Silver Swans, who are in their 80s, we are grateful to everyone who has donated so generously.

“We are thrilled to have raised such a large amount for Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary this year.

“We always like to support local charities and saw online that they needed help raising extra money for the appeal and seemed the perfect thing for us to do over Christmas.

“They’re such a wonderful charity and we couldn’t resist doing our bit, and everyone gave so generously and I’m grateful it’s gone so well.”

Karen Weed, sanctuary manager at Bleakholt, added: “What a fantastic job the school has done. Thanks to them we have exceeded our target so we can now afford to fix the stable roofs, floors and sandpits.

“We’re really pleased that the school did this because the roof was in desperate need of repair, and we’re in awe of their generosity.

“None of this could have been done without them, and everyone from Janet Lomas School of Dancing is welcome at the sanctuary as far as I’m concerned.”