AN OWL Sanctuary with hopes of expanding to care for the large number of owls it looks after has received a cheque from a Cumbrian power company.

Mike Bullock, of nuclear power company Sellafield presented the cheque of £250 to The Owl Sanctuary owner Paul Rose at Paul’s Barrow fundraising store, Oscar’s Nest.

Mr Bullock said: “We have a a departmental safety committee and every month we meet and an employee is allowed to nominate a registered charity and on this occasion, I had nominated Paul.”

Mr Rose was delighted with the latest donation towards the fundraising that the sanctuary carries out.

He said the funds will go towards the expansion

He said: “This will be going towards the expansion and the welfare of the owls too.

“The owl’s can never speak for themselves and I have made it my goal in life to start looking after them.

“Now we have got to the point where seven of our owls will outlive me.

“Nicola Dawes has joined us and she will be taking it on in the future when I sadly go to the grand lodge above.

“Small owls live for around 8-10 years with the larger ones living around 45-50 years.

“However, there’s no disabled help, there’s no ‘I’m getting too old to fly, can somebody give me my dinner?’

“Once they get older in the wild they just tend to die with nobody else to help them, although their partners will help.

“We have some owls that are disabled and the fit owl will look after them.”

One of the disabled owl’s in Paul’s care has it’s head permanently fixed upside down.

He said: “It’s a neurological problem - they can do everything else perfectly well, including singing.

“It’s the most loving owl I have ever had, it loves to play, it loves to play with the cats and to preen long hair.

“We also have one that has just been signed off to us that is blind in one eye.

“It’s uncertain if they are able to go back in the wild, but it is increasingly unlikely.”

The Owl Sanctuary is in the middle of a funding campaign to raise £10,000 towards new aviaries for the owls.

With over 30 owls in tow, the sanctuary is in desperate need of the expansion to help to provide care for more injured birds in the area.

If you want to donate to help fund a new home for this charity, visit the gofundme page called: ‘The Owl Sanctuary New Aviaries Project’