WHO ARE WE?

We are the Mostonbrook Sanctuary Equine Home of Rest - we rescue ponies and donkeys that have been ill-treated, are retired, are too frail to work or who have been overworked, or abandoned.

The Sanctuary was started just after World War II when Grace and Harry Cleworth started to collect the unwanted and badly treated animals. At that time Manchester had been bombed so very badly and people found it difficult to look after the people that had lost family and homes. Men came home from the war in varying stages of shell shock. Harry Cleworth was just such a man, they had seen to much death and destruction and decided to help the ones that could not talk and tell of their sorrow and fear - the animals.

They were called the first greenies in Manchester because of their love for that great city and the people. They gave all they had to give for the animals and people. Never have a family sacrificed so much for their beliefs and principals or given as much to Manchester as the Cleworth family have, J N MACDONALD MRCVS to Granada reports March 17 1993.

We originated in Moston, north Manchester in a little green valley - the last place that was virtually unspoilt until the City Council wanted to compulsory purchase our property. We fought the Council for over 27 years but although we won many battles against them we lost the war. We found this little semi-derelict farm in west Wales. We came home to sanctuary, sad, battered, and sick with grief and the gentle Welsh people and the good lifestyle gave us the will to live again.

WHERE DO THE EQUINE’S COME FROM

The equines come to us from all over the UK and we try not to say no to any equine that needs us or is in desperate need of a home. Of course sometimes we are full and then we do have to say sorry we cant help but we do have a list of people who want animals and if we can team them up with a new home we do.

We are a permanent rest home for these beautiful animals but you can sponsor them whenever you wish to for £10 per year.

We also take in some foals when we have the room that were intended for slaughter. We are against the use of horses, ponies and donkeys for human consumption and have effectively campaigned to stop this evil and cruel business. Sadly we are only a small sanctuary and our voice is often unheard but now the larger sanctuaries are saying what we have been saying for over 50 years - at last they are listening.

But for how long and can we do anything about the terrible cruelty that is ravaged on these poor innocent animals? We do our best but that is not enough, the trouble is that we are so very short of money to do what we should be doing.

The sanctuary is not a registered charity. This is because the Cleworth family own their own land and under present laws if we registered we would have to surrender all our land and we could lose all we have fought so hard to save.

We are going to try and become a friendly society when we can as this would safeguard what is our own but as we don’t get enough donations for this type of register we will have to wait for a while. Until then we must struggle on as best we can and with the help of friends of the Sanctuary we will continue on and do the work started all those years ago by two brave and dedicated people who believed in love sharing and giving more than they did their own comforts and wants.

THERE ARE NO PAID STAFF AT THIS SANCTUARY

We get no pay, voluntary means voluntary, and we are always in need of helpers. Could you do stable duties, would you like to groom donkeys and also attend shows with them or could you raise money for us or collect bric-a-brac to sell on our stalls? Would you like to do a car boot sale for us? If so please get in touch there are many different ways of helping us to help the helpless animals that desperately need us.

THINGS WE NEED

Hay, straw, horse feed, rugs, buckets, dog food, cat food, wheel barrows, brushes, shovels, a photocopier, office materials, new stables, wood fencing, hammers, nail, etc, a miracle or two would go down well!

Donations, no matter how small, are desperately needed and very gratefully accepted.

Helpers who like to muck out or to mend stables and fencing, etc are also welcome!

Please help us to help the helpless and give hope to the hopeless