DEIRDRE Broadway from Sixpenny Handley impressed the judges to win the Budden Art Competition organised by gorilla conservation charity Gearing Up 4 Gorillas (G4G).

The judges particularly loved the way Deirdre had used her painting to depict how all the human race should extend the hand of friendship and assistance to the mountain gorillas.

Deirdre has been a keen painter for many years and absolutely loves animals of all kinds.

On receiving her prize, she and her husband immediately gave a donation to G4G and generously gave the charity’s trustees the painting to sell or auction to raise further funds.

G4G chair Linda Nunn said: “The judges were very impressed with Deirdre’s wonderful painting, and it was so kind of her to donate the painting to G4G for our fundraising efforts.”

G4G raises funds to help support rangers in National Parks in DR Congo.

Since 2005, G4G has sent much equipment to Virunga National Park and enabled the building of the Senkwekwe Centre, a facility dedicated to caring for orphaned mountain gorillas. The charity also assists the work of the Gorillas Doctors whose vets are on hand to monitor the health of the gorillas and treat any injuries that arise in the forests.

The Budden Art Competition aims to both raise awareness of the threats to gorillas and to inspire amateur artists to showcase their work in celebration of G4G trustee and natural history artist Robin Budden, who died in 2018.

Go to g4g.co.uk for more information about the charity and its conservation work.