Job losses confirmed at horse welfare charity

The equine charity said it had worked to minimise compulsory redundancies wherever possible

Bransby Horses, one of the UK’s largest equine charities, has confirmed a number of job losses after being left with "no choice" but to restructure its operations.

The Lincolnshire-based equine welfare charity previously announced plans to reduce its workforce due to financial challenges.

It said costs had increased by 50% since 2018.

Following a consultation, a spokesperson for the charity confirmed that "17 valued team members" were losing their jobs, with the total workforce now reduced to 154.

The charity, which is based in Bransby, between Lincoln and Gainsborough, said it also planned to reduce the number of horses it could care for from about 290 to 250 over the next 12 months.

Chief executive Jo Snell said: "Any process of this kind is always difficult, but we’ve worked closely with everyone affected to ensure colleagues were fully supported and to minimise compulsory redundancies wherever possible.

"While these 17 roles are no longer part of the structure, we’ve been able to significantly reduce the number of compulsory redundancies to just two."

Bransby Horses, which was founded in 1968, houses about 290 rescued horses, ponies, donkeys and mules

Ms Snell also said she had been "incredibly moved" by those who had shown their support for the charity.

"Their support and generosity mean the world to us and we’re enormously grateful to the many people who have got in touch with offers of help or suggestions on how we can generate more income," she said.

The charity said its new operating model would deliver savings of £1.3m, adding that it was reviewing its operation to identify any further cost reductions or opportunities to increase income.

It is expected the review will be completed by the end of the year.

The charity previously forecast a deficit of £2.5m for this year.

At the time, Ms Snell said rising food and energy prices and increases in the minimum wage had had an impact on their running costs.

The charity said that they relied on income from donations, which had remained static over the past five years.

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