Animal centre relaunches with vision to expand

A FAMILY-RUN animal sanctuary has undergone a relaunch after its owner decided to take a back seat role.
Kevin Plummer ran Kays Hill Animal Sanctuary, near West Auckland, for a number of years while living with a long term illness.
There were fears the centre would close due to Mr Plummer’s health – leaving some of its 300 animals facing an uncertain fate.
But those worries have been quelled with the 52-year-old passing on the baton to his son, Colin, who has already made his presence felt at the renamed Bildershaw Animal Sanctuary.
The 30-year-old, from Spennymoor, has used his expertise in the building trade to erect specialist habitats for its array of creatures and hopes to carry on where his father left off.
“I’m pretty much carrying on what he did while expanding at the same time,” he said.
“There’s a lot of work to do before we get to that point.”
Mr Plummer jnr has long-term ambitions of opening up the centre, off the A68, to the public and creating an online pet shop for supplies.
However, he said the day-to-day running and maintenance of the sanctuary is the main priority for the moment.
He added: “Some of the staff and volunteers have been here quite a long time – they are very supportive and they know the history of the animals.
“It’s like the Forth Road Bridge – the work is never done.”
After four years in the Household Cavalry regiment and a spell as a bookmaker, Mr Plummer jnr was about to open his own shed building business before his full-time return to the sanctuary.
The centre, off the A68, runs with the help of more than 30 volunteers and relies on donations for its existence.
It is also one of only six places in the UK which takes in raccoons – a creature ruled an “invasive species” by the EU.
Mr Plummer jnr added: “Every single one had to be neutered – they have grandfather rights which means they’re not allowed to reproduce. We’ve got the youngest ones in the country.”
Funding the centre is top of the agenda for all its supporters.
Bildershaw Animal Rescue Supporters (BARS) has 500-members on Facebook and a new board of trustees for the sanctuary’s charity is on its way.
Mr Plummer jnr said: “I am not doing it on my own – the charity is still going with new trustees raising funds.”
Manager Eunice Keeligan added: “We have a small team of fundraisers who do little things like auctions and raffles. They’re doing an excellent job and we’re very glad they’ve stayed with us.
“We will continue to look for ways to open ourselves up to the public more because at the of the day it’s about finding income.”
For more information about the centre, visit its new website at www.bildershaw-
animal-rescue.com or call 07496 105432.