Waynbe and Jade

Wayne and Jade

Maintenance Team

Members of our Maintenance team might not be the obvious people you would picture on the rescue team, but they provide an invaluable practical and technical mindset that is key to making sure we use our equipment safely and look after it, so we have it for years to come.

The day job 

Before coming to Redwings, Wayne had a varied career – serving in the Army, then installing telecommunications, and fitting kitchens, before he joined Redwings looking for a new practical role. Jade had previously worked for a zoo before joining Redwings in February 2024. 

Their day job sees them called across the Sanctuary to help maintain our facilities. From mending or installing fencing, to constructing field shelters or carrying out repairs in our Visitor Centres, they work across Redwings with the rest of the Maintenance team.

Their role at a rescue 

On rescues, they are especially responsible for our ‘pen-sections’, large metal mesh panels which attach to one another to make temporary corrals for horses and ponies. This means we can safely catch and contain the equines and have somewhere to safely administer any emergency care they may need. 

Usually, we transport around thirty pen sections to a rescue, on a large trailer. Often rescues can be far from our HQ in Norfolk, so it is important they are transported by experienced members of staff who are confident towing them long distances. The pen sections are large, and heavy, and Wayne especially is known for his extra-careful stacking technique, meaning they do not move, however long the journey! 

It is important to stress how key this equipment is to a rescue scenario. Without the pen sections, and Wayne and Jade who often spend most of their day on a rescue quietly putting them up and down (and then up again!) we simply wouldn’t be able to work as carefully and efficiently as we do. 

Why they do it 

Being a part of our rescue team often means long days, and even overnight stays away from their families – a big change to the routine of their role. But both Jade and Wayne embrace the chance to help on the front-line of equine welfare. 

Wayne: “I am happy to be part of the rescue team, as I enjoy working with different colleagues from across Redwings. Whilst our paths might not cross in the usual day-to-day, it’s nice to work in such a tight-knit team – all working together with the common goal of helping the horses or ponies who need us. 

Jade: “I enjoy that my work on the rescue team means that I get to see first-hand that I am part of the much bigger picture of Redwings. Rescues can be wildly different from our usual day-to-day work, and it’s a reminder of why we all do what we do – to help horses.” 

Nic

Nic de Brauwere

Head of Welfare and Behaviour
Julie

Jo and Julie

Senior Field Officers
Beth and Lucy

Beth and Lucy

Welfare Coordinators
Alan and Clair - Horst Transport

Alan and Clair

Professional Horse Transporters
Nic

Nic de Brauwere

Head of Welfare and Behaviour

Julie

Jo and Julie

Senior Field Officers

Beth and Lucy

Beth and Lucy

Welfare Coordinators

Alan and Clair - Horst Transport

Alan and Clair

Professional Horse Transporters

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