New Museum Marks a Milestone

This year marks an important milestone for HAPPA. We will be celebrating 50 years of helping equines across the county. To mark the milestone we are proud to announce the opening of our museum, highlighting our journey through equine welfare at Shores Hey Farm, Briercliffe, Burnley, Lancashire.

Our story began in London in 1937, however when we began to struggle to meet the demand for service at our first home Capel Manor, Hertfordshire. We made the much-needed move to Greenbank Farm in Fence, Lancashire in 1974. Local horsewoman and avid HAPPA supporter, Pam Wood, offered her own farm as our rescue centre. The move to the north of England ensured that we had a settled and secure base to continue to rescue horses, ponies and donkeys from cruelty and neglect.

Pam and our team realised that to have a truly secure future the Charity needed to invest in its own property. In 1984 after raising the funds to realise this dream. We then purchased the then cattle farm known as Shores Hey Farm on the opposite side of Burnley in the village of Briercliffe, and thus cemented our place in Burnley.

Pam Wood is also credited with creating a HAPPA museum, that was dedicated to the history of the horse in Lancashire and our history of rescuing equines from cruelty and neglect, once based at The Inn at the Wharf in Burnley. This year we are bringing this history back to life with a museum based at Shores Hey Farm.

The museum highlights the work of our founder and pioneer Mona Huskie, who was intent at putting a stop to the transporting equines for slaughter. From Mona Huskie campaigning on the docks to Pam Wood opening her stable yard to us as a safe haven, the Museum takes you on a journey throughout time. The Museum show cases our journey to Burnley through imagery and literature, including the last 50 years of rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming which has resulted in an impressive 2,000 horses, ponies and donkeys being helped by us.

Our Chief Executive Officer, Sarah Arthur, says of the Museum “This year is such a significant milestone in HAPPA’s history. Having a secure and steady future was key to the Charity coming to Burnley fifty years ago. This year we will celebrate this occasion by telling the HAPPA story and sharing experiences of local people who have taken this journey with HAPPA. I know that there are so many people who still, to this day, remember our time at Greenbank Farm, and those who have watched the Charity grow at Shores Hey Farm.

Our success in Burnley is down to the truly remarkable people who have made it happen, the local council and businesses who have supported us and the local people who advocate the work that we do. We invite you all to visit Shores Hey Farm to become part of a community passionate about equine welfare and revel in our historical journey of development and contributions to equine welfare depicted in a new museum.

It is important to our Trustees that the history of HAPPA is preserved and celebrated, that influential individuals are recognised for their hard work, drive and commitment in the fight to improve welfare standards. A memorial to those that gave their all to ensure the Charity continues to exist.”

Amanda Berry, Head of Equine Operations is the mastermind behind the creation of the Museum, she has dived into our history, alongside volunteers, to craft a museum close to her heart, “As HAPPA’s longest serving member of staff I can remember the museum so vividly that Pam Wood lovingly embraced all those years ago. It is a heartwarming to recreate this at Shores Hey Farm. Times change but our history remains the same, something we are all keen to preserve for the future.”

At Shores Hey Farm, we are surrounded with panoramic views of the Thursden Valley, a hidden gem of relaxation away from the hustle and bustle of the town centre. The resident horses are a delight to behold with rescue stories to read on each stable. The new museum enhances a great day out for visitors of all ages. Join us and immerse yourself in a day out and rejoice in how your support is really making a difference in animal welfare.

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To find out more about what is happening over the next few months, click here for our upcoming events.