The Challenge
For over twenty years, Woodlands Animal Sanctuary https://www.woodlandsanimalsanctuary.org.uk/ has quietly carried out essential work as West Lancashire’s only multi-species rescue centre. Operating from a former farm in Holmeswood, they specialise in complex, often urgent situations that fall outside the remit of larger, single-species charities.
Since 2020, more than 3,300 animals have gone through their care. Many arrive with significant veterinary and behavioural needs, requiring time, expertise and the resources to rehabilitate and rehome.
Despite their impact, Woodlands operates as a lean organisation. With a small specialist team supported by over 170 volunteers, they intentionally keep overheads low so that the funding made can go directly into the animals’ care. Although there are efforts to keep costs low, there is financial pressure when hosting fundraising events, which are essential to sustaining their work but are costly to run.
Following a near-closure in 2024, the sanctuary rebuilt its funding model to diversify income streams. Even so, without large reserves or major benefactors, managing event costs while keeping them accessible to the public remains a key challenge.
Our Solution
Stuart Energy Ltd partnered with Woodlands Animal Sanctuary to provide reliable generator support for their on-site events, including a 30kVA generator and a 3-way distribution board.
This practical intervention addressed a critical barrier of the cost and complexity of safely powering events at a rural, closed-site sanctuary which is not typically open to the public.
These events are more than just fundraisers for Woodlands, they are opportunities for the public to engage with the sanctuary’s work, meet animals, meet animals they would not normally encounter, and better understand animal welfare.
The Results
- Power multiple areas of activity safely and efficiently
- Reduce event overheads
- Maintain affordable, family-friendly ticket pricing
- Open the sanctuary for community events with confidence
In Summary
The partnership between Stuart Energy and Woodlands Animal Sanctuary demonstrates how targeted, practical support can make a measurable difference to organisations operating under tight financial constraints. By removing a key operational barrier, Stuart Energy has helped Woodlands run sustainable, accessible events that generate vital income while strengthening community engagement. In turn, this supports the sanctuary’s ability to continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals that might otherwise have nowhere to go. It is a simple but effective example of how the right support, applied in the right place, enables small organisations to extend their impact and continue delivering essential work within their communities.