Shy Lowen Horse and Pony Sanctuary Annual Report 2025
Reference and Administration Details
| Charity name | Shy Lowen Horse and Pony Sanctuary |
|---|---|
| Registered Charity Number | 1122891 |
| Charity’s principal address | Buckley Hill Lane |
| Liverpool | |
| Merseyside | |
| Postcode | L29 1YB |
| Trustee Name | Ofce (if any) | Dates acted (if not for whole year) |
|---|---|---|
| Bernadete Langfeld | Chair | |
| Eric Langfeld | ||
| Michelle Irving | ||
| Patricia Sheridan | ||
| Kellie O’Shea | ||
| Elouise Jones | ||
| Nanete Cox | ||
Structure, Governance and Management
Description of the Charity’s Trusts
Type of governing document: Trust Deed How the Charity is constituted: Trust Trustee selection methods: Appointed by The Board of Trustees the charity operates with a Child and Vulnerable Adults Protection Policy and Trustees, staff and adult volunteers are DBS (CRB) checked every three years.
The Charity works closely with Carla Lane’s Animals In Need, military veteran charity Tom Harrison House and local education providers
The trustees recognize that public interest in the riding establishment activities and the plans for nature trails, wellbeing zones and easier access are key to improving the future sustainability of this charity to support the equine rescue work at its heart. The future sustainability will be dependant upon improvements to the infrastructure. As a result of us engaging property specialist solicitor Stephen Breen in September 2022 as outlined in our report for the financial year ending 31st March 2023 agreement with the land owner Sefton Council. The lease was completed on 28th March 2024. This provided the security required to complete the site upgrades we have long had in our plans which were brought into sharp focus during this financial year which was dedicated to commencing the site improvements required for the future sustainability, both environmental and financial, of this charity.
Objectives and Activities
FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC TO RELIEVE THE SUFFERING OF ANIMALS (IN PARTICULAR EQUINES) IN NEED OF CARE AND ATTENTION AND TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN RESCUE HOMES OR OTHER FACILITIES FOR THE RECEPTION, CARE AND TREATMENT OF SUCH ANIMALS.
TO PROMOTE HUMANE BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS ANIMALS BY PROVIDING APPROPRIATE CARE, PROTECTION, TREATMENT AND SECURITY FOR ANIMALS WHICH ARE IN NEED OF CARE AND ATTENTION BY REASON OF SICKNESS, MALTREATMENT, POOR CIRCUMSTANCES OR ILL USAGE.
TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC IN MATTERS PERTAINING TO ANIMAL WELFARE IN GENERAL AND THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY AND SUFFERING AMONG ANIMALS.
TO PROVIDE OPEN SPACE FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND ABILITIES TO ENJOY AND RESPECT NATURE AND WILDLIFE.
TO PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE WITH THE USE OF HOLISTIC THERAPIES.
TO PROVIDE INCLUSIVE AND AFFORDABLE ETHICAL EQUESTRIAN RECREATIONAL AND LEISURE PURSUITS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
Whilst organising and arranging activities and events the trustees had regard for the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on Public Benefit.
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We were able to host seven open days this year. All of open days were all well supported with the music festival event in July being most lucrative for fundraising and the August event with the women’s world cup being commemorated by volunteers on horseback was great fun for the llocal community.
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We are very grateful to all our dedicated staff and volunteers who ensure that the charity remains healthy and operates in accordance with the ethics and mission we strive to achieve. We also thank the following people and organisations for their contributions in supporting and funding this charity Without their help we would not survive.
Monty Roberts Kelly Marks Roger Lyon Mike Badger Joyce Lund Trust Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust Sefton MBC Discretionary LCR Cares Petplan Charitable Trust Royal Sun Alliance Ravensdale Trust Sylvia Waddilove Trust Marchig Animal Welfare Trust Marchig Foundation CAF Resilience Fund Hilda Holmes Charitable Trust Elise Pilkington Charitable Trust The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Diana Startin Charitable Trust Sefton CVS Community Foundation for Merseyside Blue Sky Foundation Crosby Rotary Club Hemby Charitable Trust Liverpool One Foundation Pets At Home Foundation Merseyside Police Commissioner Youth Diversion Fund Anne Duchess Of Westminster’s Fund The Pilkington Family Trust Jamie Carragher 23 Foundation
Shy Lowen: What We Do and Why It Matters
Horses and ponies arrive at Shy Lowen for many reasons: owners facing redundancy or financial hardship, illness, behavioural challenges, age or infirmity, or abandonment. Every equine that comes to us is guaranteed a home for life. Those who can be re-homed are placed on permanent loan adoption contracts, remaining the property of Shy Lowen to ensure their long‑term welfare.
Prospective homes are carefully inspected, and adopters agree to strict care standards, including a commitment not to sell or pass the animal on. Each adopter becomes a Friend of Shy Lowen, donating a minimum of £10 per month to support ongoing care. Much of our success in rehoming is due to the dedication and skill of our volunteers.
Some horses are not suitable for rehoming due to age, health, or temperament. Others remain with us to take part in our ‘No Kicks, No Sticks’ riding programme. These equines become permanent residents and can be sponsored for as little as £10 a year. Supporters travel from across the country to visit the horses they sponsor.
Shy Lowen sits on the edge of an urban area, surrounded on three sides by social housing estates that rank highly on indices of deprivation. Our volunteers—aged from as young as three to over eighty—come largely from the local community. Many have few other opportunities to interact with horses or spend time in open green space. Through their involvement, they gain access to nature, learn new skills, and become part of a supportive community. Volunteers contribute to every aspect of the organisation: animal care and training, bookkeeping, land management, fundraising, machinery maintenance, and countless other tasks.
Rehoming has slowed as the economic crisis continues to affect families. At the same time, we have seen a sharp rise in requests from owners who can no longer afford to care for their horses. To prevent unnecessary surrender and keep animals in familiar environments, we now offer “in‑home” support by providing essentials such as feed and bedding.
The Therapeutic and Educational work done is proving to be more popular as the impact of covid lockdowns in the social and educational development of children becomes more apparent. We have seen an increase in professional approaches for assistance with young people but conversely a decrease in the level of volunteer commitment from this cohort. This appears to have its root in the time spent isolated and being connected via screens which has become the norm and time spent outdoors and in physical company of others a more alien concept. We have taken steps to address this and have increased the time spent supporting or young Care Committee team.
Our work with Tom Harrison House working with military veterans in recovery from addiction has received excellent feedback and is continuing to grow. The veterans pay it forward by providing support as volunteers. A significant effort was co-ordinated by Stuart Mendelson who worked very hard to put a new roof on our stables and education centre. Thank you Stuart and everyone who helped with this effort.
Our horse riding programmes were changed during this financial year with a requirement being implemented that people wishing to access horse riding opportunities must first demonstrate some commitment to the wider work done at Shy Lowen. This was felt to be important because our message of horses being important just for being themselves was being lost as many people were presenting who were demonstrating that they were interested only in their requirement to ride horses with no interest in the wellbeing or otherwise of the animal involved.
Social media
Shy Lowen makes active use of social media through its webpage htp://www.shylowen.com/
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- htps://www.facebook.com/pages/Shy Lowen Horse Pony Sanctuary/105853832819403
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And X (formerly known as Twitter) htps://twiter.com/shylowen
Social media continues to be one of the Sanctuary’s most effective tools for informing and educating the public about our work, promoting equine welfare, and advertising horses and ponies available for rehoming. These platforms provide free or low‑cost outreach to an audience of more than 12,000 followers, giving us a powerful way to share updates and reach potential adopters.
Because social media is the preferred communication channel for many young people, it also supports our focus on youth engagement through the Care Committee. Adapting to the communication styles of younger audiences helps us build stronger relationships, deliver education more effectively, and encourage long‑term involvement in equine welfare.
Our Facebook‑based fundraising stream remains popular, although recent structural changes mean that donations are now routed through PayPal, which applies fees before funds reach the charity. Despite this, the platform continues to generate valuable income. Regular videos, photographs, and updates about the animals at Shy Lowen help maintain supporter interest, strengthen transparency, and encourage further donations. We are actively exploring additional ways to expand our use of these platforms in the future.
We have also strengthened our rehoming process. In the past, some applications failed because applicants were not fully honest about their experience or ability. To address this, we now require applicants to submit video footage demonstrating their level of expertise. This has significantly reduced the number of unsuitable applications and unnecessary appointments, allowing us to assess suitability in advance and match horses and ponies more effectively with appropriate homes.
Achievements and Performance
The site upgrade entitled ‘Peace Of The Wild Things’ was launched and a successful crowdfund which brought in a significant grant from Liverpool City Region was launched.
All the work was, and is, being done by volunteers and continues with plans to be completed in 25/26 with the meditation zone due to be first used in Spring 2026
Financial Review
We have had a goal for the past 3 years to achieve a minimum of 6 weeks and an ideal of 3 months of financial reserves and, pre covid, we were making inroads into doing this but the deficits and income challenges over those years meant that we used the funds we had managed to accumulate and we are currently operating very much on a ‘hand to mouth’ basis which is extremely challenging.
No funds are in deficit.
Declaration
The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees Report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s Trustees.
Signature(s) 2 #™ id Full Name(s) Bernadette Langfield
Position Trustee Date 25/1/2026
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 MARCH 2025
| Receipts loan horses fundraising sponsor horses gift aid friends of Shy Lowen donations grants silent whispers training courses tack sales loanfrom clain legacy donation Total Receipts Payments wages capital equipment hard feed hay bedding farrier rent electric manure transport tack water generator petrol insurance tools skip hire cleaning fundraising vet repairs road tax bank stationery website reward and recognition vehicle fuel vehicle repairs and MOT ICO fee Licensing SAGE Payroll passports loan repayment CLAIN Total Payments |
2025 unrestricted restricted 7780 19458 6220 5397 5280 64189 9429 11000 54746 24300 2028 15000 17454 178106 64175 71297 14760 798 49415 14248 26000 4680 5720 1412 751 4034 180 370 1417 0 4988 3298 1958 6183 4746 14079 1679 780 984 398 172 2247 3640 708 47 1080 296 0 178190 64175 |
2024 unrestricted restricted 8320 37711 9327 12918 6400 90426 40570 3600 23600 1830 0 15000 |
|---|---|---|
| 246102 3600 |
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| 112412 8700 3600 15620 32760 3900 6150 1388 789 4420 0 853 1609 60 6186 2510 1250 5322 2946 13956 9628 709 974 258 135 95 2080 975 40 816 274 0 7000 |
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| 243815 3600 |
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Unrestricted ** | Restricted | **Unrestricted ** | Restricted | |
| Net receipts (payments) | -84 | 0 | 2287 | 0 |
| Cash balances as at 1/4/24 | 2712 | 0 | 425 | 0 |
| Cash balances as at 31/3/25 | 2628 | 0 | 2712 | 0 |
Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Shy Lowen Horse and Pony Sanctuary – Charity number 1122891
I report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 31 March 2025, which are set out on pages 01 to 02.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the 1993 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 43 of the 1993 Act;
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to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 43(7)(b) of the 1993 Act; and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner’s statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
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(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the 1993 Act; and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 1993 Act have not been met; or
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(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signature
Name: Kari Hansen
Address: Newstead Farm, Quarry Street, Liverpool L25 6DY
Date: 29/01/26