A rescue charity is "on the brink of crisis" after strong winds wreaked havoc over the weekend.
An urgent appeal has been launched by local rescue and rehoming charity Horse Sense Wirral to raise critical funds to support more than 80 ponies.
Strong winds hitting the former dairy farm in Thornton Hough over the weekend caused storm damage and equipment loss, with additional maintenance funds required to fix roofing and replace lost feed buckets.
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The winter weather has also led to an increase in intake of rescued ponies, which is adding to the "increasing financial hardship".
The charity, run entirely by volunteers, is now operating above full capacity, has also seen a slump in January donations in the period after Christmas.
Founder Amy Pirie now has significant financial concerns to meet its bare minimum 16K monthly running costs for rent, animal feed and vet bills and calls on the public for help.
Katy Davies has been a volunteer since November and she is urging the public to help support the charity.
She told the ECHO : "Everything has taken a hit because of covid.
"Amy lives with her partner who works full time as a bus driver and she works around the clock. But she is struggling, she really puts every ounce of energy into these ponies and now we need to ask the public to support us to help these animals.
"We really are in desperate need, we are on the brink of a crisis.
"Over the weekend, high winds hit the farm and the first thing was the animals, they require more attention because it was scary but roofing was damaged and needs to be urgently fixed.
"It sounds small, but feed buckets that were outside were blown away as well as some other equipment, things like coats which don't sound much but it all adds up and monthly bills struggling to meet.
"Our January donations have also hit a slump."
The charity is also looking for more volunteers due to the impact of covid and absences leaving some shifts stretched.
Prospective volunteers can submit weekly availability to a pre-planned rota that is based on three daily shift sessions in the morning, afternoon and evening with responsibilities including filling hay nets, feeding and watering and mucking out.
Katy, who moved back to Wirral from London at the start of the pandemic, said when she became a volunteer, she did not realise the impact it would have on her life.
She added: "We have ex racing horses here. There's a horse who in 1998 starred in Goodnight Mr Tom and fast forward 20 years he's being advertised on Facebook in a dire state.
"This was a star. No-one thinks about what happens to these animals when they have done their service.
"This is a long term commitment for Amy. She really dedicates her life to these horses and this is where the pressure builds.
"We are facing increasing financial hardship. The lockdown did have a lot of impact on this. People bought ponies as pets and didn't realise it's a life-time commitment.
"We also have virtual fostering which allows for monthly donations of £20 per month. The charity really wants the community to take it into their hearts for long-term support through donating monthly and volunteering regularly to avoid getting to crisis point."
Despite the hardships faced there have been some heart-warming success stories for the sanctuary’s residents.
Heather arrived as a yearling from the Carnaddau Mountains and was nursed back to health by the team, suffering health conditions and poor physical development caused by malnourishment where her legs struggled to support her body.
A year on, she is almost unrecognisable, showing the impact of the care and attention she has received.
Amy Pirie said: "Horse Sense Wirral has experienced a perfect storm of conditions that mean an urgent plea to the public for funds is required.
"Since the pandemic, we’ve had a 60% surge in animal residents, where owners have passed away, endured financial hardship or bought a horse as a pet during lockdown that they can no longer handle.”
"All in all, we are now on the brink of crisis, along with a covid induced volunteer shortage, and want to make sure we can focus on providing the best care without the worry of when the next bill is paid."
To make an urgent donation or to find out more, click here.
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