18 March 2020

Update from Redwings about coronavirus

At Redwings, as with all large organisations, we are regularly reviewing the situation and ensuring we follow Government guidelines on the coronavirus outbreak. We have always maintained high standards in terms of hygiene and biosecurity and have been constantly assessing charity travel arrangements, events etc to ensure no-one is put at risk.

We have over 300 staff at the charity and more than 1,500 rescued horses and donkeys that rely on us for their every day care so we are putting in plans to protect our staff and ensure our horses can still be looked after if staff need to self-isolate. This may involve bringing staff in from other sites, using administration staff to support with equine care tasks and calling on bank staff for extra cover. For now, our welfare line remains open for anyone wishing to report a welfare concern.

We also operate five visitor centres across the UK, which are open every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. From this Friday, all events including Adoption Star birthday parties, school holiday activities and group visits due to take place at the centres will be cancelled or postponed, and our cafes and gift shops will be closed until further notice. We are so sorry if this causes any disappointment.

However, we are considering offering the opportunity for supporters to continue visiting our centres and our horses, even though our visitor facilities will be closed. We feel it’s important for people to have spaces to get fresh air, exercise and walk their dogs (at a safe distance, of course!). Our visitor centres are free to enter and would remain so throughout this time. We would really value your feedback on this proposal to help us decide on the best way forward – please feel free to email info@redwings.co.uk with your comments.

In the meantime, we would like to thank everyone for their ongoing support and kind wishes. As a charity 100% funded by donations from the public, closing our cafes and shops will naturally impact on the funds we can raise towards caring for our horses, so if you can and would like to support us through this difficult time, please click here.

We will, of course, keep everyone up-to-date about any further changes to the services we offer so please check our website or social media pages for the latest news. We wish everyone a safe and healthy few weeks.