Wish List
SAINT MARY'S HORSE REFUGE
Here is a list of things needed to improve facilities and the care of our rescued horses :
1. Equipment for the Horses
2. Food, Grazing and Shelter
3. Goods for our Charity Shops
4. People Power
Equipment for the Horses :
EQUIPMENT - we need some machinery and equipment for the meadows. With the high rain last year and this year, we need water clearance machines, rollers and water troughs, specifically, we need :
- Mini Digger / Excavator for cutting ditches and restoring rough areas.
- Towable Roller for fields, golf courses or lawns, towable behind a Land Rover or tractor.
- Drinking Troughs, made of galvanised steel.
RUGS - any size (as we have a mixture from horse sizes from 11hh up to 17hh) and any style (stable rug, under rug, lightweight, medium, heavy, summer, fly-sheet, etc). We use all different sized rugs throughout the year and they are always in need of replacement or repair.
TACK - any old bridles, saddles or boots etc which you no longer need could come in handy to us. Those rescued horses which are still in good health and can still be ridden often came with no tack or with very old and tatty tack. If none of it fits them, we could sell them on in our charity shops.
GROOMING - we could always do with more brushes, hoofpicks and bandages, etc, anything that no longer may be of use to you, could well be needed by us.
Food, Grazing and Shelter :
FEED - Have you over-ordered on your winter hay / haylage ? And, you do not want it to go to waste ? We will be happy to pick it up. We get through so much of it, that there is never anything left over and it makes a huge dent in our funds. We also need hard feed. Our rescued horses are on such a varied diet due to different circumstances (illness, age, temperement) that it will probably be suitable for one of them.
FENCING - this is our biggest project, we are hoping to replace all the barbed wire with post and rail fencing, or at least use temporary electric fencing. SO, WE NEED : FENCING, FENCE POSTS, BARBED WIRE. This is a very expensive and time consuming job and we are desperate to try and get temporary solutuions done by the end of each year and to do upgrading whenever possible and as soon as we can. Any wood, nails, hammers, saws, electric fencing, gates, etc. you can spare or no longer need would be very much appreciated and we would be happy to come and pick them up.
FIELD - We still have a lot of the fields to clear up and removing ragwort (see poisenous plants in 'website' link) is a very important job and we need to keep on top of it all year round. Also poo picking is a horrible job that needs to be done regulary to keep the fields clean and keep worms at bay. So any shovels, rakes, brooms, dustbins, small rubber skips (or even the big metal ones!), rubber gloves, rag-forks, pitch-forks, shears, trowels and wheelbarrows, etc. that you no longer need, please send them our way, and again, we would be happy to pick anything up.
For our Charity Shops :
CLOTHES - As long as clothes are not dirty, tatty or smelly, we can pretty much re-sell any kind of clothing, from mens suits, to womes hats, to babys bibs. So, next time you are clearing out your wardrobe and come accross something you will never wear again, please send it our way, even hats, belts, shoes and bags. We know there is somebody out there just waiting to buy them from us ! If all you have is older clothing or rags, then please bring those to us because we can sell all those on to rag dealers.
BOOKS - Old school books, dictionaries, childrens books, thrillers, romance, car manuals and general interest books all sell very well in our shop and we could always do with some more books to restock our 'mini library' !
There are now few used book shops in Southend and ours has become a good "Used Book Shop" with a good range of novels, poetry, arts, annuals, text books and hobby books
TOYS - Soft toys, baby toys, dolls, lego, jigsaws and boardgames etc, as long as they are in good condition with no missing pieces, eyes or arms, etc., then we can sell them on, saving mums' and dads' bank balances, whilst helping our rescued horses !
VIDEOS, LPs, CDs and DVDs - You would be suprised how many people still watch videos instead of DVDs, so if you no longer need nor watch your videos, it is one of our charity shops' best sellers and we are always needing replacements. The same goes for CDs and LP records - charity shops are a paradise for record collectors !
ANYTHING ELSE - Cutlery, furniture, dinner services, kitchen appliances, cooking utensils, pots, vases, linen, prams, pet accessories, sports equipment and jewellery, etc. Basically, anything that is in good condition that we can re-sell and now that we have seven charity shops, we will be in need of even more stock to fill up our shelves !
We can even take scrap metal : Iron, steel, stainless steel, copper, brass, bronze, aluminium, lead, silver, etc, We can sell on any old scrap metal that you may have cluttering up your garden.
For our People Power :
CARE VOLUNTEERS - The charity is always in need of more recruits. We are in need of volunteers for everything, including : helping with yard duties, sweeping, grooming, feeding, exercising and some riding. We are also often in need of man power when it comes to projects such as fencing, hay collecting and field clearing.
SHOP VOLUNTEERS - We need willing volunteers who can help out in any of our shops by unpacking, sorting, stocking and selling goods.
FUND RAISERS - We need people to organise or take part in local sponsored events. We also need people who can find new ways of raising funds.
Anything Else ? :
If you feel you can help us with any of the above, then please contact us by phone or email, or through one of our refuge helpers, or at any of our charity shops - We will do our best to get back to you straight away ! Also, please contact us if you have any good ideas which we could do or use to raise more funds for our horses.
