Bristol businesses support animal sanctuary

Rising energy costs at Bristol-based Holly Hedge Animal Sanctuary, based in Barrow Burney meant it faces an annual energy bill of around £30,000 a year to keep its shelter and laundry going for the 100 plus animals it cares for daily.

The charity, which launched more than 30 years ago, accepts unwanted, abandoned and often mistreated cats and dogs and is completely reliant on charitable funding.

When their team started to look at options in the face of rising energy costs they called in Bristol-based Solarsense. Its advice initially included solar panels on the roof, now a solar thermal system for the centre's hard-working laundry and air source heat pumps to supply under floor heating in the centre’s kennels are now planned for phase 2 and 3 of the project.   

"The outlay for the initial panels was £25,000 but we were immediately looking at knocking up to £6,000 a year off our energy bill," says Richard Baker who works as a volunteer to support corporate engagement at the sanctuary. “Charities like ours don't make a profit, but we have to think like a business and investments like this one show what's possible.” 

Luckily for the sanctuary, Bristol businesses have been generous. So far corporate donations have attracted around £16,000.

That includes a £5,000 grant from Bristol Airport (part of their Local Community Fund to mitigate the impact its operations) and a £5,000 donation from St James’s Place Charitable Foundation.

Richard added: “People are so generous and are happy to donate the essential stuff like blankets and pet food, and that support is so important to us. But this initiative attracted a different kind of corporate supporter, and they were able to invest in our future in way that supports our environmental ambitions. It's made an enormous difference and we now see a future where we could be completely energy self-sufficient thanks to renewable energy.” 

"We are thrilled at the results we are seeing here and to be working with the charity on the next phases of the project,” said Solarsense’s managing director Stephen Barrett.

“The solar panels are likely to last for more than 30 years, protecting the charity from potential energy price hikes coming down the road,” says Barrett. “I know that gives them real confidence for their future.”