Sensational Spirits Rest Sanctuary: and Why This Charity Is So Inspiring

Writers: Elisa, editor-in-chief; Libby, writer; Minghan, editor; Neil, editor; Sricharan, secretary

We have always lived in a world where our existence is driven by the hunger for success, the options we choose all aim for us to be prosperous. Therefore, it is always rare to discover a person driven by the need to help, a community who do not just complete acts of selflessness but embody the sentiment to the extreme. The community at Spirit's Rest fulfils this, they rescue animals from the darkest walks of life, animals who have been: abused, neglected, left to die; each one is welcomed, rehabilitated and given a home to live until the end of their days.

Since animal sanctuaries are often overshadowed by more prominent charities the visit was a great opportunity to look into the day-to-day running of one.

They rely solely on volunteers, who give up much of their time to support the charity. The sanctuary focuses mainly on aiding horses off site. Unsurprisingly, the horses rescued have pre-existing health conditions or are in a deeply malnourished state resulting in vast vet bills and the requirement of special care. Evidently, the growing number of horses is mirrored in the growing costs of the sanctuary and the heightened reliance they must have on the community. So, every donation counts and makes a difference.

In addition, the charity has been through some tough times lately. Having been forced to move the site from its original location of Bean in 2020, much of the infrastructure had to be rebuilt. Covid-19 has also prevented the running of charity and fundraising events that were such a vital source of income.

We were very fortunate to have been able to visit the sanctuary and meet with Christine, who founded the charity 30 years ago. We also met with the Dartford Animal Welfare Counsellor who explained just how many animal rescues take place in Dartford; two Police Community Support Officers who talked us through their role of keeping good relations with the local community; the groundsman for Stone Parish Council who told us about the process and importance of removing manure from the grounds; and an Asda community team volunteer who provides food for the animals.

Spirits Rest Sanctuary is a sensational place to visit, located in the Bridge community in Dartford, taking care of over 200 animals, including but not limited to a bee colony, 28 cats, chickens, foxes and horses. The cats were semi-feral and had their own areas, the chickens had a large coop, and the foxes were recovering from injuries and were being rehabilitated. The sanctuary had got them accustomed to jam sandwiches, which meant medication could be delivered to them when they were once more released into the wild.

Some experiences thought to be the most insightful include being able to do some hands-on work, such as lifting hay and grooming the horses. While it was a bit of fun, it allowed us to appreciate the dedication of the volunteers supporting the charity. Another part of the trip that stood out was visiting the beekeeper who provided fascinating information about how the bees work individually and together as a colony, as well as how important it is to preserve these vital pollinators.

The sanctuary can also be a place where people seek refuge. Horses are great healers. They understand our emotions before we can comprehend them ourselves and so people who have experienced bullying or suffer from PTSD can be helped along their road to recovery by spending time with the animals who too have experienced some of the worst of humanity.

A story that mirrors some of the true malice these animals have experienced is a foal we met. At the young age of six months, he was ridden by an 18 stone man relentlessly. Horses' bodies are not usually wholly developed until they are around 7 years old, they can accommodate a person at 3 but only very sparingly. Chris intervened and liberated the foal but his battle was not over yet. You could count every rib on his side, his body was so starved and weak that it took months for him to resemble somewhat of a healthy horse.

This story echoes the hardships of a multitude of animals in our community currently, ones that fell into the wrong hands and have to deal with the cards they were dealt. So, we believe it’s down to the people who are willing to fight, to try to rewrite their stories, for as Chris the founder said ‘you can be clever and go to Mars or cure disease but we still need the simple people, the bin men, the civil servants and the people who just care. They are the ones who keep the world running.’

DGS Chapter’s visit to Spirits Rest was an enriching and enjoyable experience. Meeting with so many people made us realise just how much it takes to run a charity like this one, and how any support, however small and in whatever way, can make such a huge difference. We hope this article has been enlightening in making you feel just as strongly about this cause as we do. Dartford Grammar School has decided to support this charity and its cause. Money raised from the dumpling sale later this week will be donated to the charity, and awareness will be raised, both in the school community and outside.

If you are interested in getting involved further, Spirits Rest can be found on Facebook, or can be contacted via email at SpiritsRest@icloud.com.

All photos were taken by members of DGS Chapter.