SANCTUARY MOVE TO CARMARTHENSHIRE IS DREAM COME TRUE

• Springwood Mindfulness Sanctuary moves from West Sussex to Wales in November.

• The family-run Sanctuary combines looking after the wellbeing of people, the land, and a herd of rehabilitated horses and donkeys.

• It has teamed up with the charity The Missing Kind to launch and run KindaVillage, its new mental health respite centre and animal sanctuary near Pencader, Carmarthenshire.

The Missing Kind bought the land 3 years ago but struggled to find someone to run the project until now.  For Mental Health therapist, Jacqui Howe, joining with the charity means she can apply for grants to provide retreats to people who couldn’t previously afford it.

Jacqui provides wellbeing sessions for everyone from children to corporate events – but her passion is vulnerable adults and teenagers.  Attendees of Jacqui’s retreats have said that being part of nature, and learning easy-to-remember mindfulness skills, was incredibly helpful.

Jacqui’s partner, David Foster, helps look after the land, and the two of them are looking forward to rewilding it.  The land has been traditionally farmed as a monoculture and treated with chemicals.  Over the next few years they will reintroduce natural biodiversity, creating a haven for wildlife – and for the unwanted or previously abused equines in their care.

The pair said: “It’s about nourishing nature to nourish people.  And our herd will have 80 acres of Welsh countryside to explore, and we’ll be living on site again. It’s our dream come true!”

The main hurdle is the cost of moving.  The Sanctuary calculates it will cost £20,000 to install fencing, mud control, field shelters, stables, and transport the nine horses and two donkeys.

Jacqui is confident that the new lockdown and travel restrictions into Wales won’t affect the move, but hopes there won’t be any hold-ups on the road to distress the animals.  Going forward Jacqui hopes that the outdoors nature of the retreats, and the one and two-bed cottage accommodation mean that business can continue close to normal.

But like many organisations, the Sanctuary has been unable to generate its usual income  during Covid-19 restrictions.  Jacqui is hoping to fund the move through additional donations from the public, and by auctioning a cottage holiday in The One Voice for Animals Christmas Auction (running from 29 November to 5 December at https://www.facebook.com/groups/onevoiceauction).  Winning bidders of many of the other auction lots can also send their payment to Springwood Mindfulness Sanctuary.