Hope for animals at Hopefield (From Swindon Advertiser)

Hope for animals at Hopefield

1:00pm Friday 14th October 2011 in News

What do you think of when someone says animals? Cute fluffy rabbits, dogs, cats and much more. You think of people lovingly taking care of them, becoming part of the family.

But there is a negative side to this. Some people abandon their pets or whatever animal they have. This could be because they can’t afford it or have moved house. The animals are left to starve and some eventually die.

But there is a place that rescues these animals and brings them back to full health. Hopefield Animal Sanctuary is an animal sanctuary that cares for many different animals including horses, donkeys, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, geese, ducks, cats and many small animals. The sanctuary is based in Brentwood, Essex.

However, this sanctuary is threatened with closure because of lack of funds for the winter season. In the winter season, animals need more food and the buildings need to be strong so the animals can keep in the warm.

Recently they have had support from the X Factor 2006 winner Leona Lewis, who is now a patron for Hopefield. She first visited Hopefield because her manager, Nicola Carson, who is from Essex, had heard of it.

Leona is an avid animal lover . She says “My mission at Hopefield is to make sure these animals can continue to live here, that they can live comfortably and safely, that we can build Hopefield into a sanctuary that will educate people on animal welfare and continue to save more animals in need. The immediate mission is to raise £100,000 by Christmas. A big ask but one we can achieve by each just doing whatever we can for these animals that deserve some love!”

On Sunday October 9, there was a sponsored walk which Leona, her manager Nicola and many other people attended. They managed to raise £13,000. It’s a great amount but Hopefield still needs your help.

You could organize fundraising events, do a sponsored run, walk or something else. You can donate online at www.hopefield.org.uk Not only do they need money, they also need materials such as roofing, fencing, feed, hay, lighting, timber, business supplies - anything that you or anybody you know could supply would be well received.

Their address is Hopefield Animal Sanctuary, Sawyers Hall Lane, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 9BY For further information regarding fundraising, sponsorship or events please contact Lianne Angliss at lianne@hopefield.org.uk or Nicola Carson at nicola@hopefield.org.uk.

Please help Hopefield to help unwanted and mistreated animals lead a better life.

-Chloe Leadbetter student at New COllege, Swindon