A revitalised Cumbrian animal charity has revealed plans for a massive revamp costing well over £100,000 – and it wants the public to help achieve it.

The new management team at the Animals Refuge at Wetheral, near Carlisle, is hoping to breathe new life into unused buildings in a bid to secure a long-term and sustainable future.

Ambitious plans are in the pipeline to convert old farm buildings into rural craft units, a museum and a privately-run dog grooming parlour.

There are also moves to create on site a dog day care or boarding kennels, stable and tack room and sand school for riding and schooling horses.

The charity is hoping to regenerate and manage nearby Blackburn Woods for the use of the community and to promote and support wildlife conservation, which they hope will provide a modest income for them.

Management have set the cost of the stables and school at £35,000 - but say Blackburn Woods will be self-funding through the sale of wood cut through the conservation programme.

The charity will be seeking public support to raise the cash needed for the overhaul.

Caroline Johnson, 36, moved from Kent in February to take up the post of general manager at the Oak Tree Farm site.

The animal behaviour counsellor and zoologist has a wide background in lecturing and animal welfare work and has previous experience in managing a rescue centre having run Wood Green, The Animal Charity, in London.

"The redevelopment of our site will provide a fantastic opportunity to secure a sustainable future for the charity, improve the welfare of our horses and ponies and breathe life back into our Oak Tree Farm site," said Caroline.

"It will also allow us to move outside our four fences, to the heart of the community, to be able to help more animals that need our support.

"We are still awaiting quotes from various companies and waiting for building control and fire regulation decisions, which will influence the costings.

"We will be setting targets for individual elements of the development following the receipt of these," she added.

The refuge started to home horses again last December.

Since that time it has taken in 19.

"It has been identified that we need to develop a sand school area where our staff can undertake assessment, rehabilitation and schooling work all year round," said Caroline.

Two proposed new intake stables will allow the refuge to cater for horses of all shapes and sizes.

Unused buildings will be sub-let to people who wish to start up a new enterprise with the support of the charity.

"This will also help us break down some of the barriers to dog homing, where people may work all day or lack the confidence to groom the dogs without expert help," said Caroline.

Traditional farm buildings will be converted into rural craft units to be sub-let to individual crafters, building on the refuge's monthly craft fairs.

This will help generate income to support the animals in the refuge's care and provide a source of tourism to this corner of the Eden Valley.

Old, unused animal wards will be turned into a visitor attraction to celebrate the charity's rich heritage in animal welfare.

It will also provide an insight into animal welfare throughout the 20th Century.

A decision on planning is expected by the end of September and if approved the charity will launch a fundraising drive, which will include seeking grant-aid.

"We will be working hard to actively seek support to raise the funds to bring Oak Tree Farm back to life and help provide our charity with the opportunity for a sustainable future to continue helping the animals and our community," said Caroline.

Last year the charity was forced to reduce staff numbers from 32 to 20, in an attempt to turn its finances around.

The centre, which costs about £800,000 a year to run, had operated at a loss for more than five years.

It has its routes in the Carlisle Animals' Friends Society.

Alfred Brisco founded this in the early 1920s.