She’s rarely seen with a hair out of place, but Love Island’s Faye Winter has embraced her adventurous side by taking on a series of epic challenges for an animal charity close to her heart.
The reality star, 28, was “encouraged” around a muddy assault course by a SAS celebrity soldier and covered in snakes to raise vital funds. Undeterred, she soldiered on through laser clay shooting and had her cooking put to the test by a Michelin-starred chef.
Faye volunteered as a fosterer for guide dogs six years ago and gave a home to six pups in training before Love
Island in 2021.
Since then, Faye has tirelessly raised money and support for the charity. For her challenge, Faye hurtled into a 2ft-deep pool of mud at the Bear Trail in Devon, and was put through her paces by former special forces commando and star of SAS: Who Dares Wins, Ollie Ollerton.
Teachers, civil servants and train drivers walk out in biggest strike in decadeWith 30 obstacles to tackle, she scrambled over bear nets, zoomed down a zip wire and did press-ups in the mud. Ollie said: “Faye was able to tough it out and be counted when it mattered. The money she raised will help tackle the loneliness and isolation caused by sight loss.”
Faye was a natural at Devon Laser Clays, hitting the target on her first shot. She also felt the heat in the kitchen under double Michelin chef Michael Caines MBE at Lympstone Manor in Exmouth, where she produced three classy dishes.
Later she endured a Creepy Crawly Experience at Animals2U South West in Exeter. She whimpered as a tarantula crawled across her hands, and asked: “Can it smell fear?” when a python was draped around her neck. Faye explained her passion behind the challenging mission, saying: “Sight loss can affect us all, that’s why I’ve done this, to support guide dogs and those with sight loss.”
Lynette Proctor, fundraising officer at Guide Dogs and a guide dog owner, said: “Faye’s fundraising efforts will have a real impact.”
In 2022, Guide Dogs created 387 new guide dog partnerships and supported more than 4,000 partnerships. You can still donate by clicking here.
Meet friendly moggy Maisie and her gorgeous kitten Lyla. This adorable pair are the perfect example of why we should all support our local rescues.
Maisie had been a stray for a number of years, going through several pregnancies before she was rescued by an experienced volunteer fosterer, with the support of Cats Protection Waltham Forest.
This time round, it’s feared she would not have survived her pregnancy if she hadn’t been taken in. Tragically, complications meant two of Maisie’s most recent litter died, with little Lyla being the only survivor.
To adopt these two adorable moggies, who are currently being cared for by the volunteer who rescued Maisie, contact [email protected] or visit the team’s Facebook page, Waltham Forest and Redbridge Cats.
We want to see favourite snaps of your animal pals, so send them in – the cuter the better. We’ll share as many as we can here, and in our brilliant newsletter too.
Tiger attacks two people in five days as soldiers called in to hunt down big catThis gorgeous pair are Bonnie and Clive, rescue dogs who found their dream home with Lucy Saxton-Quinn and her husband Jason in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
Lucy said: “These guys are mad as hatters, and life would be dull without them. Clive was rescued from a banana box in Romania and Bonnie came from Battersea after her elderly owner could no longer care for her. Both are now living the high life.”
Send your snaps to [email protected] or tag our socials. Tell us a bit about your pet and what makes them special to you.
Nominations are open for the Mirror People’s Pet Awards with Webbox. We’re looking for cats, dogs and every pet in between who has saved and transformed lives, rescue animals who have overcome the odds, and pets who win the hearts of everyone they meet. There are also categories for people old and young who make a difference to animals’ lives. If your pet, or a pet you know, deserves recognition, visit thepeoplespetawards.co.uk to nominate them.