Sedgley animal sanctuary speaks of 'overwhelming' community spirit and plans for the future following Storm Goretti disaster

The much-loved Brockswood Animal Sanctuary, in Catholic Lane, Sedgley, has talked of plans for the future and thanked its community after Storm Goretti destroyed a number of their enclosures.

The destruction was caused after a 'huge' amount of snow, brought by the storm, forced the netting roof on the enclosures to collapse, bringing their walls with it. Sadly, the falling debris also led to the death of one of the sanctuary's ducks.

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However, the sanctuary is now looking forward to the future after an urgent appeal gathered more than £23,000 in charitable funds to help with repairs and clean-up costs.

Brockswood Animal Sanctuary director, Mr Neil Swan, said: "The show of support has been overwhelming, we couldn't believe it.

"It has been a real show of community spirit. We couldn't thank everyone enough for the help they have given."

My Swan said that the team was devastated to learn of the death of one of the sanctuary's ducks; however, he said that considering the damage caused, 'it could have been so much worse'.

He said: "It really devastated us. The heartbreak of that loss is something that we all carry heavily. But we have a really amazing team here, as soon as they heard what happened, they all rushed to help.

"Seeing the damage that was caused, the sheer weight of the snow had ripped some of the enclosures from their foundations; it could have been so much worse."

More than £23,000 has currently been raised through the sanctuary's GoFundMe appeal, with the director saying that the money will now go towards urgent repairs and upgrades so that they can 'come back stronger than ever'.

He said: "The last time we looked, it was at around £23,000, but we also have money being given to our sanctuary account, and in person. It's amazing how this community has come to help.

"We want to use this as an opportunity to come back stronger than ever. Any money that is left over after the repairs will go towards developing ways to offer more for our animals and our amazing community."

Mr Swan said that among the potential improvements, he hopes to make the sanctuary's classroom more comfortable for SEND students, so that everyone can enjoy learning about the animals. 

He said: "Over the coming weeks, we will be developing ways that we can give back to the community. We want to open the classroom up for SEND children and make improvements. 

"The community has really come forward to help our sanctuary, and we want to come back better than ever so that we can be there for them. Thank you."

The sanctuary plans to reopen to the public by the Easter holidays, so that children can enjoy a range of activities surrounded by the wildlife.

If you would like to donate to Mr Swann's cause, visit the Brockswood Emergency Repairs Appeal fundraiser on the GoFundMe website.