An urgent appeal has been launched by local rescue and rehoming charity Horse Sense Wirral to raise funds to support more than 80 ponies - a workload which has pushed the organisation close to the edge.

Strong winds hitting the former dairy farm in Thornton Hough over the weekend caused storm damage and equipment loss, with additional maintenance funds required to fix roofing and replace lost feed buckets.

The winter weather has also led to an increase in intake of rescued ponies, with a quarter of current residents joining the sanctuary since November last year. These include 24 vulnerable colts and mares, and an ancient species native to the Welsh Carnaddau Mountains, suffering from malnourishment, physical disabilities and illness.

The charity, run entirely by volunteers and now operating above full capacity, has also seen a slump in January donations in the period after Christmas. Its founder Amy Pirie now has serious worries about meeting its bare minimum 16K monthly running costs for rent, animal feed and vet bills.

Calling on the public to help, she said: "Horse Sense Wirral has experienced a perfect storm of conditions that mean an urgent plea to the public for funds is required.

"Since the pandemic, we've had a 60% surge in animal residents, where owners have passed away, endured financial hardship or bought a horse as a pet during lockdown that they can no longer handle."

"All in all, we are now on the brink of crisis, along with a COVID induced volunteer shortage, and want to make sure we can focus on providing the best care without the worry of when the next bill is paid."

The charity is also looking for more volunteers. Anyone interested can submit weekly availability to a pre-planned rota that is based on three daily shift sessions in the morning, afternoon and evening with responsibilities including filling hay nets, feeding and watering, and mucking out.

Despite the hardships faced there have been some heart-warming success stories for the sanctuary's residents. Heather arrived as a yearling from the Carnaddau Mountains and was nursed back to health by the team, suffering health conditions and poor physical development caused by malnourishment which meant her legs struggled to support her body.

A year on, she is almost unrecognisable, showing the impact of the care and attention she has received. Three rescued wild foals, China, Tudur and Gladys have been hand-reared during the pandemic.

To make a donation please just click or tap here.

For longer term donors, new arrivals Dave, Henry and Ozzy are just some of the vulnerable new residents available for virtual adoption at just £20 a month, where you'll receive weekly reports on your chosen pony's progress. To find out more about virtual fostering, please email Amy on [email protected]