Jarrow Hall Farm looks to become animal sanctuary

Jarrow Hall Anglo-Saxon Farm, Village and Bede Museum has set itself the goal after taking on a rare primative breed of British goat which was saved from the elements during the Beast from the East cold snap earlier this year.

Named Tilda, she was discovered struggling for life under the body of her mother who was killed when the storm hit the Scottis Borders in February.

Hand-reared fo several months by the Northumberland shepherd who found her, she was given a home at Jarrow Hall where she is now living out her days.

Leigh Venus, operations manager (culture and heritage) for Groundwork STAN - which is responsible for the direction and development of Jarrow Hall - said: “Turning our already non-working farm into an animal sanctuary feels brilliantly inevitable, a natural next step in our evolution.

“This is a fundamental change born of the mission of Groundwork to create better places and to positively impact all lives where we operate, which for us includes the lives of animals who rely on us for their care and wellbeing.

“As a charity, we are always looking for new ways to fulfil our mission. By moving animal lives to the heart of what we do, we open up an exciting new opportunity both for the trust and for our unique animal residents.

“It’s the start of what will be a long journey, but one that is very worthwhile for our site and, of course, the animals themselves.”

Work has already started to make changes to develop the farm.

A fundraising campaign to help with animal care on the site has also been launched.

Alex Burnett, programme lead at Jarrow Hall responsible for the farm and education, said: “We have a thriving and growing animal community here on the farm with many of the animals true to those known in the Anglo-Saxon period. The history we are custodians of remains at the core of our site, so we’ll work to balance the needs of the animals with the historical and educational remit of Jarrow Hall, bringing in expertise to help us develop.”

Jarrow Hall is on the lookout for volunteers to help care and provide for the animals.

For information and details how to donate call 424 1585 or visit justgiving.com/campaign/jarrow-hall-animal-sanctuary