🌟 Volunteers’ Week 2025 – Celebrating the Heart of Crosskennan 🌟

Volunteers’ Week runs from 2nd–8th June every year – a nationwide celebration of the millions of people across the UK who give their time and energy to help others. It’s a chance to say thank you, to raise awareness of the power of volunteering, and to showcase the stories that too often go unheard.

Here at Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary, volunteering isn’t just a helpful extra – it’s how we survive. Our sanctuary simply wouldn’t function without our volunteers. Every part of what we do — from caring for horses and donkeys, to running therapy programmes, fundraising, education, outreach, admin, maintenance, and even our governance — is powered by people giving freely of their time, skills, and compassion.

Some volunteers come weekly, others help at one-off events. Some muck out stables and feed our rescues. Others answer emails, write reports, repair fences, or build us a new cat run. Some run our fundraising stalls. Others lead sessions for children or vulnerable adults. And some, incredibly, do all of the above!

Every volunteer matters. Every role makes a difference. Every act of kindness keeps this place alive.

💬 Volunteer Voices: Meet Erin

To mark Volunteers’ Week 2025, we’re sharing real stories from the people who keep Crosskennan running — starting with Erin, who joined us earlier this year.

With no equine experience but a deep love of animals and a brave heart, Erin made the leap to volunteer — and her words speak for themselves.

“After a tough few years, I thought it might be helpful to try to help out at an animal sanctuary because not only do I love animals, I find being around them very calming, they make me so happy and are just a joy to be around.

With sanctuaries up and down the country at breaking point, I started to search the internet to see what I could find and if I could help. I came across Crosskennan and started to follow their Facebook page. One Saturday they put up a post asking for volunteers. In my usual style, I made a quick decision and got into my car armed with a pair of welly boots and drove like I was meant to be there yesterday.

The reality that I’d have to put on those welly boots and actually talk to people started to hit me as I approached the Apple Green service station and I almost turned back to come home again. What if I embarrassed myself, what if I was no good, what if no one liked me, what if I got in the way!

Well, to cut a long story short, I managed to get to the big green gate, almost turning back once again but came to my senses and called for Carol — the rest is history.

Carol and the other volunteers are all so lovely and we all just get on with what needs done and it’s just a lovely, relaxing and therapeutic atmosphere to be around and the best part is we’re helping the animals.

Give it a go, see what you think — we are all different but all have the same goal, to help and nurture the animals. Thank you Crosskennan for having me and a special thank you to Carol who has been and continues to be amazing at teaching me about how to care for the horses and donkeys.

Also a special thank you to the horses and donkeys for putting up with all my silly chat to them — I can’t help it, you are all just so beautiful.”

💚 Erin, we’re so grateful you made it through the gate — and thank you for everything you’ve brought to the sanctuary.

👀 Stay Tuned for More

We’ll be sharing more volunteer stories throughout the week here and on our social media channels — so keep checking back to hear from the incredible people behind the scenes. Each story is different, and each one reflects the heart and soul of what we do.

🙋‍♀️ Want to Get Involved?

If Erin’s story has inspired you and you’d like to become a Crosskennan volunteer, we’d love to hear from you. From animal care and maintenance to education, fundraising, and admin — there’s a place for everyone.

📧 Get in touch: volunteer@crosskennanlane.org.uk

🕊️ Please be patient with us! We’re currently working through a high number of volunteer applications and doing our best to respond as quickly as we can — but we’re a small team and most of us are volunteers too.

💻 If you’re organised and enjoy admin, communication, or scheduling, we would especially welcome support behind the scenes. Helping us manage volunteers helps us help more animals.

With heartfelt thanks to Erin, and to every single volunteer past, present, and future.

– The Crosskennan Team