Stroud actress takes 'carbon-neutral' donkeys on walk

Sarah Blowers (left) was inspired after rescuing a donkey in Spain A group of artists are planning to walk 400 miles (644 km) through Gloucestershire using "carbon neutral" donkeys to carry their provisions. The trip is being led by Sarah Blowers, from Stroud, who said they would leave no "ecological footprint". The project aims to create artworks along the way and encourage people to think about the environment. The eight-week walk starts from Stroud on 21 June and ends in the Forest of Dean in August. 'Time to be still' Actress Sarah Blowers, 39, said she was inspired to set up the project, called As I Walked Out, after she rescued a donkey in Spain 15 years ago and trekked 600 miles (966 km) from Almeria to England. She said: "We are so fast today and work so fast that we don't have a lot of time to be still or to just walk. "When I was walking before [in Spain] all I had to do was think about the basic essentials. I even had to busk for my supper." Ms Blowers said the donkeys would be properly fed, watered and rested. The trip is also being supported by the Chalford Donkey Project. Two of the donkeys taking part, Teddy and Chester, are already famous for delivering goods to inaccessible houses in the county. Each leg of the journey will be about six to nine days long, and the artists will set up three-day public camps in each of the county's six districts along the route. The project has £31,000 council funding as part of the Cultural Olympiad