Best foot forward to help sanctuary (From Swindon Advertiser)

Best foot forward to help sanctuary

12:30pm Tuesday 19th January 2010

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DESPITE the future of the Swindon and District Animal Haven being still in doubt, student Kathryn Allen decided she was not going to sit back and watch the centre fall by the wayside.

Kathryn, 29, from Ferndale, has set herself the challenge of 45-mile trek to raise much needed cash for the sanctuary to help owner John Warwick cover the costs of site improvement work Wiltshire Council has said is needed.

Just before Christmas council officers took the drastic step of banning members of the public from visiting the sanctuary, in Ballards Ash, Wootton Bassett, because of health and safety fears.

Kathryn said: “I have never done anything like this before but I just thought I had to give it a go.

“John does such a tremendous job with those animals and I support what he does 100 per cent.

“The walk covers most of Wiltshire – including Avebury and Barbury Castle, so it is going to be quite tough.

“I think it would be a crying shame if the sanctuary had to be closed.

“John does all the work himself and is up there all the time.

“If he closed his doors then where would the animals go?

“We should all get behind him and support what he is doing.”

John said the council’s ruling will affect about 30 volunteers who are under 18 and help at the centre, which is home to about 70 animals.

He said he will feel the loss of his volunteers keenly at this time of year, as he suffers from multiple sclerosis and tires easily.

“It is hard at this time of the year, and the weather is against us. But our volunteers will step up; I have already heard from some people from a few years ago who want to help me,” he said.

He has until January 31 to sort out the problems and, as part of the work, must install a septic tank, improve toilet facilities and organise a cabinet with a lock for medicines.

He is unsure how much the work will cost but it will all have to come out of his pocket.

He said: “We have done some of it already. The caravan for our feral cats was one of the main problems and the health and safety people told us that we could not use it.

“We have now changed the cabling leading to the heater for the caravan.

“Along with the health and safety there are the fire people. We now have to have a fire assembly point and a signing-in book. Bearing in mind we are a farm in a field it is a bit ridiculous.”

Wiltshire Council spokesman Allan Clarke said the sanctuary had been visited by officers from its public protection department.

He said: “We are not here to shut things down but regulate them.

“Volunteers are adults and they can make their own decisions. The key issue is that kids do not visit as we have a duty to make sure that the public are safe.”

Kathrynwill be taking part in the trek on January 23 and anyone interested in sponsoring her should contact the sanctuary on 07990 868887 or visit www.sdah.co.uk.

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