Hannah and her fluffy side-kick Little Alf. © Hannah Russell Author

By Ellie Jolley

A tiny Shetland pony has been helping to deliver fresh eggs to elderly residents in a small English village who are self-isolating due to coronavirus.

Little Alf and his owner, Hannah Russell, walk around their village of Leyburn in the Yorkshire Dales dropping the eggs off at each house.

“Last week due to the current world situation we decided to box as many eggs as we could and deliver them around the village to the elderly and venerable to brighten up their day,” Hannah said.

“We work with a local man called Jonathan Greenwood who has a fluffy herd of free-range chickens. He always has too many eggs so previously I have been selling them in my shop in my local town in the Yorkshire Dales. The funds raised there have been going to Yorkshire research charity,” she said. 

“Me and Little Alf set off walking down the village with a basket of fresh eggs and everyone has been delighted to see him.”

Little Alf is an excellent helper for Hannah. © Hannah Russell Author

 “The eggs have been left at the doorsteps of the receivers, so we remain a safe distance, but they have seen Alfie from the window and that has brought a smile to their face,” Hannah said. 

“They haven’t been coming to close to us, but we have been having conversations with people from a distance and they have been asking lots of questions about Little Alf and thanking us for visiting.”

And ahead of the Easter holidays, Hannah said they have also been delivering chocolate cream eggs as an extra treat. 

“If you can spread a little bit of happiness and a little bit of joy then why not. We can’t do loads, but we can do something small."

“Little Alf is so tiny he seems to make people smile and many people have written in saying how lovely it is to see him on social media and it has brightened their day.”

Since the coronavirus pandemic spread across the globe, many countries have been told to self-isolate which has sparked panic buying making it difficult for elderly citizens to get supplies. 

“Like for everyone, it’s worrying and frightening but if we all do our bit and listen to the rules, then we are doing okay,” Hannah said. 

 Bringing a new meaning to ‘The Pony Express’! © Hannah Russell Author

Since the Facebook video of Hannah and Little Alf gained so much attention, food companies wanting to donate produce to the cause have been approaching Hannah.

“We are going to make up some care boxes next and hand them out to the ones who need it,” she said. 

Hannah Russell and Little Alf’s story:

Little Alf is a very special pony. Because he has dwarfism, he stands at just 28 inches high and his ears are only 3cms long. 

“He’s the same size as a large dog, and his hooves are also extra small,” Hannah said. 

“He came to live with me in 2012. I hadn’t told my parents and was going on a spur of the moment decision. But due to Alfie being so small I thought, what harm could it really do?”

“At the time I was just coming to terms with the fact I wouldn’t ride again due to an injury, so when he came to live with me, he gave me a new focus.”

“I had to drop out of college at the time due to my injury so found this not only physically hard but also mentally. But luckily I had Little Alf to brighten my day.”

Hannah and Little Alf were destined to be together. © Hannah Russell Author

“I started taking photos of him and posting them on social media, and his following began to grow. Shortly after that, I decided to write a short story about him which soon lead to a book being published, then another book, then another... I never went back to college and started a career as an author. He now has 8 books published about him and a string of merchandise.”

“I think everything happens for a reason and there is something inside me which says Little Alf was meant for me. We do a lot of school talks now and charity work, and it’s really rewarding. If you have a social media following, I’m a huge believer in using it to help others; to help charities to put out the right message to the world. He makes so many people happy and that is very rewarding to me.”

Hannah is one of the UK’s leading young entrepreneurs and won New York’s literary award for Best Children’s Stories in 2017. 

If you would like to read more about Little Alf and Hannah Russell, check out their social media sites and website: https://www.officialhannahrussell.co.uk/ 

Facebook - @HannahRussellAuthor

Instagram - little_alf_

Twitter – AlfLittle

READ THE LATEST NEWS ARTICLES HERE