Animal care students at West Nottinghamshire College have been putting their hearts and minds together to support a wildlife charity after it was hit by a fire.

Level 1 and Level 2 students had recently been working on a variety of ways to raise funds for Pleasley Vale-based Mansfield Wildlife Rescue, to support the move to its new premises, following a visit to the college by owner Cheryl Martins.

Now they’re doubling up on their efforts following Wednesday night’s news that Cheryl lost many possessions and some of her own pets in a fire at her home.

Cheryl had recently spoken to the students about the rescue centre, which she has run from her Mansfield Woodhouse home for more than 18 years. Having outgrown the garden, which housed a range of rescue animal such as foxes, ducks, owls, parrots and squirrels, Cheryl was successful in obtaining planning permission in the New Year to move into former plant nursery on Common Lane, Pleasley Vale.

Her search to find, fund and prepare a new venue, set within five acres of woodland has taken many years, but Cheryl had planned for the new rescue centre to be up and running this summer.

Sadly on the night of 18 May, while Cheryl was out at the charity’s board meeting, a fire at her Mansfield Woodhouse home meant smoke swept through the property, where she houses rescue animals and her own pets. Cheryl has lost some of her beloved animals as well as most of her possessions.

Students had already been putting creative fundraising initiatives into motion, including raffles and tombolas, cake sales, hair-braiding on fellow students, guess the name of a monkey and unicorn, and guess the number of sweets in a jar. Now they will be doubling up their efforts to raise the much-needed cash.

They’d also taken on some energetic ways of raising cash for the charity with a sponsored marathon. Last week, students completed 27 miles jointly on the sports field at the college’s Derby Road campus.

Seventeen-year-old Level 2 student Reanna Davies has spent the last three weeks going through her own paces with a staggered sponsored walk, which will see her cover more than 100 miles throughout May.

Reanna said: “We met Cheryl when she came into college and we love her charity. It’s amazing how she started out her rescue mission from her garden. We’re so very sad to hear what happened to her home and her animals, but we’ll do all we can to support her.

“I will carry on with my sponsored walk. Even my dog has enjoyed it although she only has little legs.

“I walk around the local woodland between college and work times, then at weekends I do bigger walks. I’m getting donations from friends and family and I’d like to gather in what I can for Cheryl. “

Before the fire, Cheryl said: “I’ve rescued animals from home unofficially for 35 years and from my garden for 18 years. I simply outgrew the garden and I’ve been working to secure this new space for over five years. Now we’re here it’s great because we can cater for more animals and we’ll be able to release owls, deer, foxes and badgers straight into this woodland setting.

“I’m really excited to work with the college and be able to offer students additional experience of hand-rearing animals in rescue situations which will help them with their coursework and experience. We can offer work placement options and they’ll be great to work with.”

Mansfield Wildlife Rescue’s plans for the future also include incorporating a café, small soft play area for children, a vegetable patch and a woodland walk behind the centre, which can cater for wheelchair access.

Cheryl added: “I’m aiming to be open to the public in the summer school holidays so that families can come along and find out more about us. We’re so fortunate to be able to have this space not only for the animals in need but for the wider community.”

To donate to a Go Fund Me page to help Cheryl, set up by Paul Haywood, who runs Haywood’s, The Home Of Alrate Cheesecakes, on High Street, Mansfield Woodhouse, visit https://tinyurl.com/yc6etfpp

To donate to the charity directly visit www.peoplesfundraising.com/donation/mansfieldwildliferescue

Paul said on Facebook: “She is absolutely distraught, they have lost everything in the house as well as all the animal feed, equipment etc and is going to need our help as a village.”

Anyone wanting to donate animal food can drop it off at Haywood’s – items such as bird food, chicken food, duck food and cat food.