23 October 2020

#CoronaChronicles: Special edition

We’re bringing back the #CoronaChronicles for a special edition to explain how we’re planning to cope with the two-week “fire break” in Wales that comes into effect at 6pm today (Friday 23^rd October).

Firstly, may we wish all our Welsh supporters a very safe two weeks as you navigate these new restrictive measures to help bring the spread of coronavirus under control.

Redwings has been actively involved in the rescue and welfare of horses and ponies in Wales for more than 15 years, and in January 2019 we merged with the charity, the Society for the Welfare of Horses and Ponies (SWHP) in Monmouthshire.

To accommodate the horses who were being cared for by SWHP at the time, we purchased and created a new site - named Redwings SWHP - close to the charity’s former headquarters.

While still in Monmouthshire, Redwings SWHP technically sits just across the border in England - however we feel that because we are so close and many of our staff live in Wales, it’s prudent that we also follow the measures set out by the Welsh government.

Our equine carers are essential for ensuring our rescued horses receive the specialist attention they need, so our team will continue to work on site, while following safety measures such as social distancing, additional sanitising and not sharing equipment and vehicles. They will also have permission to cross the Welsh border when travelling for work purposes, if needed.

However, staff travel between Redwings SWHP and our other sites across the country will be restricted for now and any existing planned journeys will be rearranged until after the fire break finishes on 9^th November.

If you have an urgent concern about the welfare of a horse or pony in Wales at this time, we would urge you to call the RSPCA’s emergency cruelty line on 0300 1234 999.

In England, all our visitor centres remain in the Government’s Covid-19 Tier 1 (Medium alert), except Redwings Ada Cole in Essex which now sits in Tier 2 (High alert).

Meanwhile, our team at Redwings Mountains in Angus, Scotland, is following nationwide guidance provided by the Scottish Government. Following the announcement of a new Tier system for Scotland today, we await further details as to how this may affect this particular centre over the next few days.

Tomorrow (Saturday 24^th October) sees Redwings Ada Cole, as well as Redwings Oxhill in Warwickshire, open their doors to visitors for a second weekend as part of our phased reopening schedule. Our Norfolk visitor centres – Redwings Aylsham and Redwings Caldecott – are currently open every weekend.

Having carefully evaluated the Tier 2 rules, we’re confident the safety measures we have implemented at our centres means we’re fully compliant and can still welcome visitors at Redwings Ada Cole this weekend. We can’t wait to see you all!

Sadly, due to torrential rain and local flooding, we have made the decision not to open our doors to visitors at Redwings Mountains this weekend. We’re very sorry if this causes any disappointment, but we thank you for your understanding. Anyone who had booked tickets to visit Redwings Mountains will be receiving an email with an offer to move their reservation to an alternative date.

For further details about the Covid-19 safety measures at our visitor centres, please click here.

The majority of tickets to visit our centres this weekend have now sold out, but if you missed out, don’t worry! Click here to find out how you can get your hands on tickets for future opening dates.

Thank you #RedwingsAngels for your continued support! We wish you all a healthy and safe weekend.