Conwy animal sanctuary desperately searches for new home as site faces closure

  • ITV Wales' Ian Lang spoke to volunteers about how much the site means to them and the hundreds of animals it looks after

It is the sanctuary where every animal has a name.

Injured, lost or abandoned, the volunteers and staff at the Idlewild Animal Sanctuary do their level best to help them.

Many are found new homes while others become a permanent feature of the sanctuary, which is based in the hills above the Conwy Valley.

Established in 2015 there are now around 50 volunteers. But times are uncertain.

The lease of the farm and land they use is ending in 2026 and they need to find somewhere else. It is a race against time.

The sanctuary looks after a range of animals.

Trustee Jonathan Gray said they are looking for donations and contacts. One possibility would involve a share arrangement.

He said: "One idea we are looking at is to create a limited company that would be used to buy the land that we need. The company would rent the land to the sanctuary.

"The idea is that we have a share issue of around £50 per share. People would basically buy a small piece of the sanctuary. They would become part of the Idlewild family."

Of the task ahead he said: "We are not going to quit. There is too much at stake."

Sanctuary manager, Kim Barton-Jones said many of their volunteers have additional needs and mental health issues.

The sanctuary not only helps support the animals that end up there but also those that help volunteer at the service.

She explained: "We are not only worried about what might happen to the animals but many of our volunteers do not leave the house apart from coming to Idlewild."

She said that if they were to find somewhere else the potential for development was huge.

She added that the fundraising target at around half a million pounds was big but it wouldn't deter them.

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