A MUM has collected old photographs of the Welsh Mountain Zoo and put together a song as part of a fundraiser.

Sarah Ryder, 42, of Old Colwyn, has already raised an impressive £1,125 for the Colwyn Bay attraction, which continues to appeal for urgent donations.

She has also released song 'Please Help to Save Welsh Mountain Zoo', which has been published across Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Sarah, mum to Herbie, aged seven, and Otis, aged two, praised the 'great generosity' of the community after she received photos from 30 people.

She said: "It has been a real community effort, of people lending me their time and skills to help put this together in such a short space of time.

North Wales Pioneer:

One of the pictures shared with Sarah. Picture: Emma Evans

"I absolutely loved going through the photos. I’m such a softy - I had to keep blinking back tears when I looked through some of the photos where children were so completely absorbed in studying the animals.

"It was very moving."

Sarah came up with the idea for a song while playing with her children.

"I was feeling very sad for the future of the animals and that so many children might not get the chance to make the memories," she added.

North Wales Pioneer:

Daughter of a family friend, Lily Grace Brownson, aged nine, stepped into the reins of lead vocalist

"I felt it was important that the children were involved in the making the song as their voices have the ability to allow us to reconnect with our own childhood and hopefully inspire people to actively try and save the zoo."

Sarah recruited a daughter of a family friend to help record the song.

"At first I was going to sing the song with Herbie and Otis, but as much as I love singing around the house, I’m not in my natural happy-place singing in public," Sarah explained.

"I called in an emergency favour with one of my oldest and dearest friends, Lisa, whose daughter Lily Grace Brownson, aged nine, who kindly stepped into the reins of lead vocalist and did such an excellent job.

North Wales Pioneer:

Julie Upmeyer shared this old photograph for the song's video

"I love towards the end of the song where Lily Grace is doing a freestyle ‘la dee da’ which has a slight echo. It really feels like memories floating around, and the possibility that they might not have more added to them. For me, it really does capture what I wanted to get across."

The song title was deliberately simple and lyrics were kept 'minimal'.

"I wanted to leave space for people to think about their times at the zoo. I think there’s a poignancy in the verse, but hopefully a splash of joy and humour in the line ‘Feed the animals!’," Sarah added,

"I am very lucky to have a brother who is gifted with a great talent for music, so he was able to take a very rough recording of me singing how I wanted the song to sound and then create it for me.

"When he sent me the first sound file of him playing the melody on guitar I got goosebumps. As the process when on, and he started mixing in the children’s vocals, percussion and the odd animal sound, I think I almost burst with excitement.

North Wales Pioneer:

Sarah with her children Herbie, aged seven, and Otis, aged two

"It was a magical experience listening to the song develop from a few notes and warbles into a fully mastered song.

"I would love to say thank you to all the wonderful people who have helped this project come to life and all those who have since been sharing it and giving their support.

"I felt very nervous at the start of this project and was cursing myself for biting off more than I could chew.

"My enthusiasm gets me into tricky situations sometimes and I had no idea how this latest burst of energy was going to become a tangible thing to raise money for Welsh Mountain Zoo, but, from taking that first step and then with lots of amazing help, the Welsh Mountain [task] was indeed climbed."

The fundraiser deadline ends on Saturday, June 6.

Visit www.facebook.com/donate/240708030701002