Struggling animal farm in Notts needs your help to safeguard its future
More than 180 animals need looking after but money is short
by Joseph LockerA popular animal farm in Nottinghamshire is facing an uncertain future after being forced to close amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Floralands Farm Park in Lambley, which is typically visited by around 20-30,000 people per year, had been trying to recover from a "hard winter" when the pandemic hit the UK.
Directors Hollie Steptoe, 28, and Jackie Loftus, 47, said they had been hopeful ahead of the farm's peak visitor period between March and September.
But now the farm, which costs around £8,000 to run each month, and its 187 animals need support.
Jackie told Nottinghamshire Live: "We rely on this time of year to get the visitors in.
"From March until September is when we make our money, so we have missed half of our time when we need to make money.
"The Government has given us grants to see us through the rent and the bills, but it's the admissions that make the money to see us through the winter.
"We have just come through a really hard winter because it rained so much and then the heat dried the grass up and the last of our reserves were going out the bank."
Since the farm's inception it has faced numerous struggles, including when its former owner - Home and Garden - went into administration citing the Beast from the East leading to poor trading conditions.
However, Hollie and Jackie decided to take the farm and gift shop on full time.
They currently look after animals from "cute the cuddly", such as alpacas, pigs, sheep and lambs.
The pair had planned to eventually open a small zoo area with more exotic animals such as reptiles, but these plans have yet again been put on hold.
"We do not want to lose the farm," Hollie added.
How you can sign up to our daily newsletter
Want today's big stories delivered to your inbox? Why not sign up to our daily newsletter.
Every day we send out news, Nottingham Forest and what's on newsletters containing the top stories from our journalists.
Sign up to our newsletters here.
"But every year there seems to be an issue. We have had to furlough four staff members. Me and Jackie are working seven days a week with a pay cut.
"We originally had some interviews lined up because this is our busiest time.
"We have to make sure we have money in the bank so we can see us through to winter. It is difficult.
"We spend around £160 on bedding, we had hoped to have more grass [for feed] but we do not, so it is £350 for animal feed.
"I have really got to know the animals, some of them have been here since I started. I cannot imagine [the pandemic] being the thing that makes us have to go."
A number of small family farms across Nottinghamshire have been struggling due to the pandemic.
Just recently White Post Farm said it was struggling due to a lack of admissions, and Nottinghamshire Live helped it raise thousands of pounds to stay afloat.
The pair at Floralands Farm Park said they were thinking of doing animal sponsorships in the future to raise money to help keep the animals fed and watered while their are no visitors.
In the meantime, you can help Floralands Farm Park by contacting them on their Facebook page, with donations of either money or vegetables to feed animals.