Latest News

Shadow

On 10th June we lost Shadow, our dear old horse who has been battling a brain tumour for about 2 years. He was a weird horse who was never still unless he was lying down. About one and a half years ago he was getting stuck in his stable every night and in the morning staff had to get him up. He also suffered from a really big abscess on his leg and staff feared for the worst as vets said he would not make it through the next few months. Shadow surprised us all when a year on he was still going strong and the abscess cleared up. Unfortunately on Wednesday the tumour in his brain got worse and Shadow was completely out of it, he didn't know where he was. Staff and the vet thought the kindest thing to do was to put him to sleep. Over his years at Hopefield he has made two good friends, Flossie and Roulette who, along with all the staff and volunteers, are missing him very much indeed.

Brutus

I am sad to say that our last remaining turkey, Brutus, died peacefully of old age on 8th June. He was a lovely old turkey and it was funny because the previous Sunday he developed a complete crush on a gentleman who had come down to visit the sanctuary. He sat by his side for an hour or more while he had tea and just wouldn't leave him alone...I think the feeling was mutual actually. So Brutus can now be reunited with his friend Miska who died a few weeks previously. We will certainly miss him and his funny little ways.

Coral

Sadly at the end of May 2009 we lost Coral the goat. She had been sick for a few days and the vet thought she may have had an allergic reaction to a sting or insect bite. Coral and her twin Smain where born at the sanctuary and have always been inseparable. Smain seems to be doing ok without her sister but seems a little lost so we are going to try to find one of the other goats to live with her and keep her company. Coral will be dearly missed by everyone.

Forest

Unfortunatley we also lost our dear old pig Forest on 14th May. He was the fussiest pig I know and would never eat normal pig food. In the summer he would spend most of his time digging up the fields and making massive holes. Once staff came into work one morning and went to let Forest out when they noticed all of his pen was dug up and Forest was nowhere to be seen. When they looked closer all they could see was this tiny little tail sticking out of a hole. When he finally emerged his little nose was covered in dirt. We will miss him dearly.

This month's featured animal is Jazz.

Carpenter Required - Help! We are currently desperate for a couple of trained carpenters / builders to help us erect 2 wooden field shelters for horses in open fields. We can supply some muscle to help but we need someone with appropriate skills to ensure they are constructed properly. If you can help, please call Ros on 07729 625656.

Online Shopping Deals - remember to visit these shops via our online shopping link so Hopefield will receive commission. Thank you and happy shopping!

• DriveLine has great offers on Euro Disney and Eurostar (6% commission to Hopefield).

• Co-operative Travel - Fantastic late deals to Corfu.

• Waterstones - The Sony Reader is now £199! There’s also 20% off thousands of ebooks.

• T-Mobile - New pay as you go rewards and boosters from T-Mobile. E.G. example Talk and Text 20 allows you to swap £20 credit for 300 minutes and unlimited texts for 30 days!

• Pet insurance from the RSPCA from £2.92 per month. 20% of your premium helps fund the RSPCA and £22 commission goes to Hopefield.

• Littlewoods Direct are offering £30 off for new customers (enter ZG754 at the checkout) and 10% off for existing customers (enter XX289 at the checkout).

• Hillarys Blinds 1/3 off selected blinds.

Used Stamps and Foreign Currency

We are now collecting used postage stamps and foreign coins (and notes!). Please save these and take/send them to the sanctuary or to Debi at 13 Western Road, Billericay. Thank you.

Can you spare £3 a month?

Hopefield is struggling financially more than ever and no matter what we do to raise funds, we only ever have enough money in the bank for a few weeks ahead. If you are able to make a regular monthly contribution to our running costs through a standing order, please click here for a form to send to your bank. These regular donations would give security to Hopefield and the reassurance that we could continue our work at the Sanctuary without the constant fear of imminent closure. Even as little as £3 per month makes a huge difference.

EBay

Hopefield is now an approved charity with eBay. Anyone who wants to sell items on eBay can choose to donate some or all of the proceeds from the sale of their unwanted goods to Hopefield. It also provides Hopefield with a good way of selling items that have been donated. To go direct to the items that Hopefield has on eBay, click here.

Facebook

If you like using Facebook, please look for the group called Hopefield Animal Sanctuary. Ros keeps this updated with the latest news from the sanctuary and there are a lot more pictures there too. We would love you to join the group.

Sunday Afternoon Tea

Visitors are welcome any afternoon between 1pm - 4pm but on Sundays, we are now offering refreshments too! So after you've walked around and met the animals you can have a well deserved sit down with a drink and something nice to nibble from our cafe. We have a good selection of hot and cold drinks, cakes and ice creams plus cream teas! Mmmmm...

Forthcoming Events

A Book about Hopefield

Retired jounalist Brian Lynch has written a book about Hopefield. There are still some copies left and these are available for purchase by telephoning the sanctuary. They are a bargain at only £4.99 (all proceeds to Hopefield, of course).

Bad Hare Days by John Fitzgerald

We have been asked by campaigner and author John Fitzgerald to spread the word about his new book on the controversial subject of live hare coursing in Ireland and the campaign to protect the Irish Hare:

In Ireland the 'humble hare' has been the subject of great controversy. After years of an abusive sport, which resulted in its child-like death screams being heard regularly throughout Ireland, a result was achieved.

For those few dedicated people trying desperately to save the gentle creature from the horrors of the cruel sport of hare coursing, the struggle was painful and fought against great odds. The author writes about one of the 'world's most barbaric blood sports' continuing during a deadly period for the hares, the 1980s.

His own peaceful and non-violent action and that of, initially, a few others did arouse the public and achieve what at first appeared to be a hard-won benefit to the hare. But the hare's troubles were - and are - far from over. Though it can no longer be torn apart by greyhounds, now muzzled, it can still be mauled, injured, and tossed about like a rag doll on the coursing field.

In addition to highlighting the hare's sad plight, this is also a campaigner's story. The author recounts vividly the ups and downs of his own fight against cruelty. He paid a major price in suffering as a result of being persecuted for his beliefs. The gentle hare, apart from its use and abuse in coursing, has now become an endangered species in Ireland, and this book reinforces its right to be protected.