Staff at a Shropshire law firm have answered a call to help an animal rescue shelter by donating dozens of items, including food, treats and raffle prizes.

The donations are in response to a plea from Severn Valley Rescue, near Bridgnorth, as it recovers from winter storm damage which forced it to temporarily close to the public.

Staff at Lanyon Bowdler chose Severn Valley Rescue as one of the firm’s charities of the year, and will be raising money and offering support in a variety of ways.

Amanda Jones, marketing director at Lanyon Bowdler, said a group of staff visited

the rescue centre at the end of last year and were shocked to recently see the disruption caused by the torrential rain over the winter.

She said: “The charity, which opens at pre-arranged times, was unable to open for February half term due to damaged ground, fences and gates following one of the wettest winters on record.

“But with the hard work and dedication from volunteers and the support from the local community we are delighted to hear that they have beaten the odds to reopen in time for the Easter holidays.

“We are in the process of organising fundraising events so we can make a financial contribution later in the year, but were acutely aware that the team at Severn Valley Rescue needed help urgently.

“We wanted to help as quickly as we could, so we sent a call out to our staff for donations of anything which would be useful - from bags of animal feed and dog toys to bottles of wine and chocolates for future raffle prizes.

“I am pleased to say that the Lanyon Bowdler staff responded brilliantly and we were able to deliver a carload of items to the rescue centre which they were very grateful for.

“It’s a fantastic charity, run entirely by volunteers who do an amazing job caring for so many animals, and we are proud to be able to do our bit to help.”

Severn Valley Rescue is based in Billingsley, near Bridgnorth, and people can pre-book a visit to see the animals for £30 per car for up to five people.

Visitors can see all the animals, including a ferret meet and greet, donkey snuggles and entrance to the pygmy goat paddock, as well as enjoy a special Easter trail for children with a fun prize.

Volunteers say a lot of repairs are still needed after the storm damage, so being able to open to the public continues to help them raise valuable funds for the upkeep of the rescue.

For more information and to offer any help, visit Severn Valley Rescue’s website at www.severnvalleyrescue.org