Rebuilding Brockswood: Where We Are Now

If you’re new here, or you’ve found your way to Brockswood through the local news or social media over the last few days, you may still be trying to piece together what’s happened...

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In short, we were hit by severe winter weather that caused catastrophic damage across the sanctuary. Animal homes collapsed, infrastructure failed, animals had to be urgently evacuated and temporarily rehoused, and heartbreakingly, we lost an animal. It’s been one of the most difficult moments in our 20-year history. There are fuller explanations elsewhere, including local news coverage, but what I really want to talk about here is what’s happened since.

Because alongside the devastation, something else has been unfolding, and it's something none of us expected!

The way the community has come together around Brockswood has been unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. Support has come from every direction: from people who have loved this place for years, from individuals further afield who have never visited but felt compelled to help, and from neighbours we are now meeting for the very first time. In some cases, those neighbours have met each other for the first time too - exchanging numbers over snow shovels, standing in the snow talking about how they could help, building connections that simply wouldn’t have existed without this moment.

Our team battles on!

Nialle of NOBY Trees & Gardens generously donated his time to clear one of out fallen trees.

Members of Hrafn Vaeringi helped to shore up one of our impacted habitats!

Gina & Kate gave their time to help clear a safe path and care for the animals with us

Matt battled in on foot with his chainsaw and cleared the fallen tree blocking our path

Jon & Kaz, a couple of the amazing neighbours who came together to help us

Local businesses have stepped forward as well, many of whom we had no idea even knew about our work. Offers of materials, skills, practical help, and ongoing support have flooded in, and with them, conversations that feel like the start of something lasting. In the middle of all this chaos, there’s been an unexpected sense of togetherness, and even excitement, about what we might be able to build together in the future.

We put up a GoFundMe with hope, but also with some nerves. We set what we thought was a realistic, perhaps even conservative, target, fully aware that this is one of the hardest financial months of the year for so many people. Relying on the kindness of others is never easy, and we are famously uncomfortable asking for it. Waking up early the next morning to discover that you’d not only reached that target but completely smashed it is a moment I don’t think any of us will ever forget. The relief, gratitude and disbelief all hit us at once as we looked to our future with hope we were before near losing.

At the same time, we’ve had to make some very hard, very practical decisions. We’ve closed the sanctuary to visitors, likely for several months, while we focus on stabilising, repairing and rethinking parts of the site. That could easily have felt like an ending. Instead, it’s become a turning point for us.

We’re adapting in ways we never expected to. Our shop is being transformed into an emergency base - a temporary office and volunteer hub. Somewhere warm and practical. Somewhere we can make a brew, spread out plans and lists, share information, and start bringing structure to the countless offers of help. A place where we hope some of you will get to know each other better and where we can all work side by side towards a shared goal!

That goal isn’t just fixing what’s been lost.

It’s about rebuilding Brockswood to be stronger, more resilient, and better equipped for the future. It’s about taking everything we’ve learned over the last few days - about community, kindness, and adaptability... and carrying that forward. It’s about becoming the flagship sanctuary we’ve long dreamed of being, not in spite of this moment, but shaped by it.

The animals remain at the heart of every decision we make here. Our routines have shifted, spaces look very different, and some things are still very much in flux, but they are safe, cared for, and surrounded by people who are doing everything they can to provide consistency and calm amid such enormous upheaval.

Thankfully, many of the animals have no idea what has happened. The care of everybody continues around the clock as we pick up the pieces here! As the snow covers the paddock, the goats have been enjoying tasty Christmas trees to supplement their lost grass and browse.

There is still a long road ahead for us here, and we’re under no illusions about that. But there is also momentum, connection, and a deep sense that we are not doing this alone now.

Thank you for being part of this, whether you’ve walked alongside us for years or you’ve only just found us. The last few days have shown us what’s possible when people come together, and that’s something we will carry with us into whatever comes next.

With all of my gratitude, on behalf of our team and the wonderful animals who call Brockswood their home,

Claire Thompson Sanctuary Manager