Horse sanctuary at risk of closure leaves volunteers 'devastated'

Video report by ITV News Meridian's Tom Savvides

Volunteers who work at a horse sanctuary in Polegate say they're devastated it may have to close.

The founders of the Little Bramley Farm are desperately looking for new premises as the current site is being sold. 

As a nurse working through the Covid pandemic, Claire Burge has felt emotionally and physically drained. She has been coming to the sanctuary as a way to unwind and relax.

Claire said: "This 18 months has been awful for me for every nurse really and this is my sanctuary. This is where I come to offload to feel at one with the horses."

Pat Evans and Zoe McQuade, who run the sanctuary, have been told their lease has come to an end and will have to leave this site and another nearby, as the landowners want to sell.

Zoe said: "We've been doing this since 2005  and it's taken such a build up to get the following we get. To lose that would be devastating for us and the animals really, to not have that support."

Dozens of volunteers from across Sussex give up their time to care for the horses. 

Many have their own personal reasons for coming here, including George Score, who's 15, ever since his mum passed away three years ago.

He said: "When my mum died back in 2018 I was always feeling really down and being around horses really benefited me in that way and I just love coming down here."

There are currently 27 horses at this sanctuary, with the majority of them being rescued.

The owners of the centre now face the daunting task of finding new premises.

If they're unable to do so, these volunteers will lose their sanctuary and the horses will have to be rehomed.