Lincolnshire horse charity announces job cuts due to financial challenges

​Bransby Horses, which rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes horses, donkeys, ponies and mules, has taken this extremely difficult decision following a comprehensive strategic review aimed at addressing an unsustainable £2.5 million deficit forecasted for this year, the largest in its history.

Like so many other charities, Bransby Horses has faced exponential rises in running costs due to various external factors, including soaring food and energy prices and increasing rates of pay in the employment market – with the cost of delivering its welfare and estates work rising by over 50 per cent since 2018.

In November 2023, it began an extensive review of its operational model at every level across its two Lincolnshire sites at Bransby and Barlings, to identify how it could still deliver on its mission to transform the lives of equines, while significantly reducing costs to secure its long-term future.

Following this review and a comprehensive assessment of several possible operating models, Bransby Horses has taken the decision to adapt its operational model in a number of areas to ensure it’s able to continue to deliver on its charitable purpose in a more consolidated, efficient and financially sustainable form.

Jo Snell, chief executive of Bransby Horses, said: “We have a wonderful, talented and dedicated team of people at Bransby Horses, and we’re devastated that despite our best efforts, the financial challenges we face leave us with no other option but to restructure our operations.

“While this is distressing news for everyone at Bransby Horses, we believe our new operating model will enable us to continue to deliver on every aspect of our work to improve the lives of equines, albeit at a slightly reduced scale, while significantly easing the financial pressures we’re currently facing to protect the charity’s long-term future.”

The charity has confirmed that it has identified 17 roles that are at potential risk of redundancy, with all proposals subject to a 30-day consultation process.