22/08/2026
This is perhaps one of the slightly less glamorous things we could ask for help with as an animal sanctuary, because when you think about supporting us you probably think about bags of food, medication for poorly animals, bedding, or even the timber and materials that eventually become their homes.
You probably don’t immediately think… tools.
But the truth is, behind so much of what happens here is someone building, repairing, adapting or trying to work out how we are going to fix something that has broken at the least convenient moment!
We carry out a huge amount of our work in-house. Partly because we’re lucky to have people here with some brilliant skills, but also because it means we can keep costs down and make the kind donations we receive stretch much further.
Our workshop has always been an important part of Brockswood, even if it isn’t necessarily one that visitors see. Our team use it, some of our lovely volunteers use it, and now we are beginning to look at what else this little corner of the sanctuary might become.
We are currently in the process of developing a Men’s Shed/Community Workshop project here too - somewhere people can come together, use the skills they already have, learn new ones, make and repair things, have a chat and hopefully find a bit of purpose and belonging along the way!
There is a real opportunity to create something which benefits the sanctuary, our residents and the people around us too. Something practical, useful and genuinely part of the community who have helped us so much 💚
Before we can get too carried away with all of that though, we need to put some work into the workshop itself, and this is where we’re hoping somebody out there might be able to help.
Good tools and machinery are expensive. We’ve always been quite reserved about spending donations on them because, understandably, a new drill doesn’t quite have the same obvious connection to animal care as a veterinary bill. Except, really, it does!
That drill might build a shelter. Repair a home. Put up fencing. Make enrichment. Help a volunteer learn a new skill. Or still be sitting in our workshop doing all of those things years from now.
So we thought it was worth asking… Are there any businesses, manufacturers, suppliers, tradespeople or lovely individuals out there who might be interested in supporting our workshop with tools, machinery or equipment?
That could be through new equipment, company sponsorship, or good-quality, safe and serviceable tools that have been upgraded or are no longer being used. Power tools, hand tools, workshop storage, benches, machinery - if it helps make a workshop work, we’d love to hear from you.
And, as ever, you don’t necessarily have to have something to donate to help us. If somebody springs to mind while you’re reading this, please tag them. Share the post. Send it to the person at work who knows the person who knows the person - you never quite know where these things might lead!
