A NATURE centre in Southwick has teamed up with the Wiltshire Times to name two new ponies living at the site.

The Hope Nature Centre in Southwick runs a tearoom and nature reserve from the picturesque grounds of Southwick Country Park near Trowbridge.

The two Shetland ponies, as yet unnamed, arrived at the centre last week to join the resident pony Alfie and keep him company.

The three-year-old brothers live in a new stable in a large paddock within the grounds of the nature centre and have already made friends with Alfie.

June Fleming helps run the centre.

She said: "We've got two lovely new ponies but they need names and we would like the help of the readers to come up with them.

"Alfie was always very sociable and loved being patted and talked to. The new ponies are just the same and they are getting along well.

"If you can come up with good names for the ponies then we would be very grateful.

"We've already got two Alpacas called Ant and Dec, two goats called Salt and Pepper, ducks, geese, a children's play area and a Woodland Walk and Fairy Glen."

Hope Nature Centre is a charitable organisation that employs people with special needs and welcomes all visitors.

It relies entirely on donations and fundraisers and is always on the look out for extra money to help keep it running.

The best names will be picked out by the nature centre and the winners will be invited to meet the ponies and have a drink and a piece of cake at the tearooms.

Mrs Fleming said: "The cake is just for the visitors, not the ponies. They are on very strict diets and we want visitors to help us to keep them healthy."

If you have any ideas for names contact the Wiltshire Times by emailing dwood@newswilts.co.uk or putting your idea on a postcard or in a letter and posting it c/o Denise Wood, Wiltshire Times, 15 Duke Street, Trowbridge, BA14 8EF.

The winners will be chosen in the next few weeks and announced in the paper.

If you would like to donate money to the Hope Nature Centre contact (01225) 759075.