It’s that time of year again when Woodlands are stocking up on food and bedding for their animals to keep them warm and fed over the winter months. They are therefore reintroducing their Buy A Bale Appeal, which allows you to donate one of three amounts, depending on how much you are happy to spend, which will go towards the increased bills the charity incurs over the winter.


The animal charity can spend in the region of £3,400 annually on hay and straw for their animals with the majority of this needed during winter because the animals spend more time in their stables, pens and hutches.

Ponies, donkeys, goats, sheep, rabbits and guinea pigs all utilise hay and straw and the cost of these can sometimes vary dramatically depending on the prices from farmers that year. Being economical with supplies is a large part of how the sanctuary operates, but sometimes costs increase despite their best efforts.

With options to buy one or two small bales, or one large bale this scheme caters for everyone’s pocket. These are generic prices, due to the way the appeal is run, but all monies go towards these costs. Woodlands try to buy bales off the field where possible, in bulk as this can help to reduce the price also. In the last month they have spent £900 on straw.

Please visit their website: www.woodlandsanimalsanctuary.org.uk to ‘Buy A Bale’ and help support their animals this winter.

As you are well aware and to some extent probably fed up of hearing, Covid restrictions this year have seriously impacted on the fundraising activities Woodlands can carry out and due to this there is a sense of chasing their tail even more so than normal to ensure they have sufficient funds to see them through the winter.

At this point in the year they would usually have had 3 open days which have the potential to raise £5k each and would still have their Halloween event and Christmas Fayre to look forwards to, not to mention the collections and bag packs, especially around Christmas that can again bring them a couple of thousand in donations.

This ‘hole’, has been partially filled by other Covid safe activities the charity has been busy with, but there is still a definite sense of urgency to ensure the money is there in time for the increased winter costs.


If you are able to donate, the team and of course the animals will be very grateful and more importantly – cozy and warm in their beds with full tummies!

To keep up to date with other fundraising activities the charity has in the pipeline follow them on Facebook.