Farm Worker/Groom

The Donkey Sanctuary; Honiton; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life assurance

Holiday entitlement 31-34 days

Wellbeing team

Pilates and Yoga classes

Long service awards

Healthshield plan

Free parking

Subsidised restaurant and shop

Job summary

The Donkey Sanctuary at Brookfield Farm, near Honiton, East Devon, is seeking a flexible and proactive Farm Worker/Groom to care for resident donkeys, mules and hinnies and support the Farm Manager in maintaining a safe working environment. This full-time, fixed-term role runs to 17 December 2027, 37.5 hours per week over 5 days with weekend work.

Benefits include life assurance, 31 days annual leave (34 with service), wellbeing team, Pilates and Yoga classes, Healthshield plan, free parking and

Qualifications

• Excellent observation skills to identify signs of ill-health in animals.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills.
• Competent IT knowledge and skills.
• Full current UK driving licence.
• Able to carry out physically demanding tasks in all weather conditions.
• Effective team player who builds trust and relationships.
• Self-motivated, with a positive and professional attitude.
• Experience in animal husbandry or equine care.

Responsibilities

• Routinely check, feed, medicate, groom, weigh, worm and train resident donkeys, mules, ponies and hinnies.
• Assist visiting vets, farriers and dentists.
• Operate machinery or manually muck out, feed and bedding in barns and stables; distribute hay and feed.
• Maintain the farm with cleaning, haymaking, strimming and waste management.
• Maintain up-to-date manual records for donkeys, farming practices, holidays and overtime.
• Provide feedback to the Farm Manager on donkey health, feeding regimes and land management.

Skills

Observation skills

Communication

IT skills

Driving licence

Physical fitness

Team player

Self-motivated

Animal husbandry experience

Job description

The Donkey Sanctuary is an international animal welfare organisation, offering care and protection to donkeys worldwide. Our vision is a world where every donkey has a good quality of life, and our mission is to improve the lives of donkeys every day. We will achieve this by transforming the lives of donkeys in need worldwide by fostering greater understanding, collaboration and support, and by promoting lasting, mutually life-enhancing relationships.

We have an excellent opportunity for a flexible and proactive team player with a passion for Donkeys to join our busy team at Brookfield Farm, near Honiton, East Devon. As Farm Worker/Groom, you will provide care and rehabilitation for the resident donkeys, mules and hinnies, and support the Farm Manager in maintaining a safe working environment.

About you:

• Excellent observation skills to identify and notice signs that would indicate ill-health in animals.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills – tactful and diplomatic when handling sensitive matters.
• Competent IT knowledge and skills.
• Full current UK valid driving licence.
• Able to carry out physically demanding tasks, independently, in all weather conditions.
• Effective team player who builds trust and positive relationships.
• Self-motivated, with a positive and professional attitude.
• Experience in animal husbandry or equine care.

About the role:

Your principal duties and responsibilities will include –

• Routinely checking, feeding, medicating, grooming, weighing, worming and training the resident donkeys, mules, ponies and hinnies.
• Assisting visiting vets, farriers and dentists.
• Operating machinery, and/or manually, mucking out, feeding and bedding up of barns and stables and distributing hay, haylage and bagged feedstuffs.
• Maintaining the farm by sweeping, pressure washing, cleaning, field sweeping, haymaking, strimming, compost management, willow management and dirty water control.
• Maintaining up to date manual records for the donkeys, farming practices, holidays and overtime.
• Providing feedback on a daily basis to the Farm Manager and Supervisor on matters such as donkey health, feeding regimes and land management and liaising with other staff to facilitate smooth running of the farm.

This is a full-time, fixed-term contract starting as soon as possible, until 17 December 2027, working 37.5 hours per week, 5 days over 7, with weekend work as part of theteam rota.

Life assurance.

31 days holiday (including Bank holidays), rising to 34 will each full year of service. Pro rata for the duration of the contract.

Wellbeing team.

Recorded Pilates and Yoga classes.

Long service awards.

Healthshield plan, including reimbursement of some medical expenses up to the specified limits per membership, Offers, discounts and cashback on shopping, travel and entertainment from participating outlets and access to a 24/7 GP and counselling service.

Free parking.

Subsidised restaurant and shop on main site.

Closing date for completed applications: Monday 23 November 2026.

The Donkey Sanctuary is a Disability Confident Employer.

The Donkey Sanctuary is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable people (children and adults), and expects all staff and volunteers to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to safer recruitment processes, including an application for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where required for the post.

The Donkey Sanctuary also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and, for relevant posts, may request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.

Please note: The Guaranteed interview scheme is only applicable to candidates who consider themselves to have a disability applying for roles based within the United Kingdom.