During the height of the first Covid-19 lockdown, people were restricted to one- hour daily exercise in the local area.

For many in Reading, that might involve a stroll around Prospect Park, Linear Park or Palmer Park, but for one resident it was along Bournemouth beach, with her army of goats!

Amy Gray, Tilehurst-born and bred, studied Marketing at Bournemouth University and in June 2020 set up an Instagram account all about the goats that graze at East Cliff, Bournemouth.

18 months later, Goat Goalss has more than 6,000 followers, many of whom are not even from the UK.

 

 

Ms Gray enthused: “During lockdown me and my friend, Nezhat Habib, would take our daily walks together.  

“Despite living in Bournemouth for nearly five years neither of us had ever seen the goats.

“Once we started to notice them, and found how friendly they are, we continued to search for them daily.

“They really are a hidden gem.

What started out as a few pictures to friends and family quickly progressed into something much bigger.

The 24-year-old continued: “I’ve always loved goats and we started taking pictures to share with our friends and family as they were envious that we could take lockdown walks along the beach.

“As the loved ones loved the pictures so much, we had quite the collection and so we used Instagram as a platform for our close ones to see them.

“We then were found by some random accounts, and it blew up from there.

“As we continued to post frequently, we started to receive messages off not only locals but people from all over the world.

“I had no idea there was such a community for people who love goats.

“We have a large following in America and India, and that’s when we realised the potential to grow this channel into something special.”

 

 

The farm-yard animal is no stranger to the British public, so why has it suddenly burst into life now?

Amy believes it is their mix of fun and facts that sets them apart.

She continued: “I think people love the account so much as it is a combination of light-hearted, wholesome content of cute animals but also goat facts and interaction with goats from all over the world.

“The goats are there to graze the hilltops and for sustainability purposes to protect wildlife- so they shine a light on a much bigger issue we are dealing with in society.

“It is a great way of promoting a serious issue in a fun way.”

So, what next for the account and its founders?

“The next aim for Goat Goals is to continue to grow.

“We would love to expand by visiting farms across the UK and provide our followers with a wider range of content.

“Sustainability is also something we care deeply about and would love to get involved in this movement in any way we can.”

Click here to find Goat Goalss on Instagram.