The Highland team are always looking for new outdoor challenges and in October 2013, they met with Winona and Bill Wall from Horses in Clover, based in Cromarty. Horses in Clover sits in 30 acres of land and is a private animal sanctuary for numerous horses, dogs, chickens, geese and ducks run solely by the professionally retired husband and wife team. Whilst the animals were quite happy, running the place with no external help meant that Winona and Bill were in need of some assistance to give the sanctuary a facelift and some TLC.
And so the challenge begun! From the outset Apex client volunteers and staff have helped Winona and Bill with daily tasks for the animals such as feeding, mucking out and grooming, as well as taking on the large number of general maintenance jobs which were required around the sanctuary such as cutting back overgrown gorse bushes, repairing of damaged/old fences and drystane dyking; clearing out the burn; lopping overgrown trees; repairing stables and strimming grass. The Apex clients have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. One said “I put 110% into everything (I did) there. It has helped me and the sanctuary”.
Horses in Clover is self-funded and the team were set an additional challenge to raise funds in kind for them. The hard work culminated in their recent open day where the Highland team presented Winona and Bill with the ‘in kind’ donations and monies received, together totaling over £2,500.
Winona and Bill expressed their gratitude to the team in saying “Please convey our fervent and heartfelt thanks to each and every one of your colleagues and all the volunteers for transforming not just the sanctuary but also our quality of life. Thank you for the huge and critical donations, all the feed and bedding and most of all for the hard work, dedication and focus you have all contributed.”