Our Cats Need You Campaign

from Julie Grant - Cat Welfare Sussex in Portslade

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Many of you will remember The Voluntary Animal Welfare Society (VAWS); this was the original organisation founded by the feisty Mrs Lois Entwistle in 1959 which gained Charity status in 1960. Lois was passionate about both domestic and wild creatures and fought tirelessly against cruelty at a time when Animal Welfare issues were of a very low priority.

VAWS rescued many pets and strays and actively promoted the benefits of neutering, thus stopping the spread of unwanted animals. Over the years the charity grew and grew and became renowned for its pioneering work in the neutering of the ever expanding cat population.

On Mrs Entwhisle’s retirement, the society carried on with our own dear friend and original trustee Mrs Rae Sinnett as the driving force. I started rescuing cats for the charity in 1980 at my home in Portland Road in Hove, eventually moving here to our present cattery in Mile Oak, Portslade thirteen years ago.

By 1995 the major part of our work involved the rescue of cats, so to save confusion we reformed as the new charity Cat Welfare Sussex. Although we had new Charity status, the principles of the original organisation, trustees and supporters remained the same. The rest is history.

Lets fast forward to 2008. Our Mile Oak Cattery has been a haven for so many, many cats that have suffered at the hands of man. However, those of you that have visited our home will know that the garden is very long and extremely steep. The downward slope to the Cattery has lots of steps that can be quite treacherous in winter.
I have been caring for cats for twenty eight years now and the bones aren’t quite as supple as they used to be. There is a limit to the number of cats any one person can care for on a daily basis.

It is difficult for us to employ volunteers because as a Charity we have to comply with rules of Health and Safety, - volunteers are classed as employees! This requires us to install disabled facilities, light our pathways, provide separate staff washroom areas etc. The list is endless and not practical for our present situation.

We have dreamt for many years of having a proper Centre for our cats.

To mark our fifty years of caring for the cats of Sussex and the surrounding areas, we felt that the Christmas Newsletter 2008/09 would be the perfect vessel to launch the Cat Welfare Sussex Our Cats Need You campaign. The idea is that would we establish a “Fighting Fund,” via fund raising events, bequests, company sponsorship etc, towards the cost of purchasing a suitable commercial property for the Charity.

A property with land and suitable outbuildings that could be refurbished to meet all necessary requirements.

A Centre with not only a large Main Cattery but with also:

- a Retirement home for the elderly and long term cats where they could while away their days in comfort away from all the hustle and bustle,

- a Mother and Baby unit with a Nursery where the kittens could play and let off steam,

- an Isolation Unit, and

- a working office with proper staff facilities.

This would be such a positive step for the Charity, and a real building block for the future. It would also hopefully encourage more young people to join our cause and to carry on the works of the charity long after we retire.

As a commercial centre we would then be able to take on volunteers and staff to help with the cats and have fund raising events that could be open to the general public. Thus spreading the word of Cat Welfare Sussex to a wider audience and helping even more cats in turn.

Another aim would be to invite community organisations such as local disability groups to the centre for lectures and education purposes and to give them the added opportunity to help with the practical hands on cattery work.

We therefore put our ideas to the Charity Commission who in turn gave us sound advice about the monetary side of things. It was all becoming really exciting and then came THE CREDIT CRUNCH!

So, here we are at that time of year when I usually ask you to dig deep into your pockets to help the needy cats and believe me- I was going to ask you to dig even deeper this year. However, I have to tell you that when we write the words Friends and Supporters we mean just that. You are the backbone of our organisation.

The very people that are part of our Charity; most of whom we have come to know personally over the years. The special people, that have adopted cats from us and helped us both financially and practically to become the well respected Charity that we are today.

And therefore, for all those reasons and more we have no wish to put extra pressure upon you to give money at this difficult time.

This financial meltdown has affected everyone and I know most people are struggling with huge losses and expensive outgoings. We understand and truly sympathise.

Fortunately, we have invested wisely over the years with the Charities Aid Foundation along with the COIF Charities Deposit Fund and whilst our investments undoubtedly will be affected, they are at least safe.

The Our Cats Need You campaign for the Centre will go ahead.

Perhaps with not the kick start we had hoped for, but have given ourselves a five year plan to bring this project to fruition and we are determined for the future of our Charity and for the well being of the Cats of Sussex to make this work.

What we do require from you and this costs nothing - is your ideas, your thoughts and your input as to how we can raise these much needed funds (please see ways that you can help) in the future.

Cat Welfare Sussex must move forward and must keep pace with the National Charities and we know that you will help us achieve our aims eventually when this awful credit crunch receeds.

Let’s think Acorns to Oak Trees.

The dream has become a goal and that goal will become reality.

In the mean time we will continue to ride this awful recession as best we can and will care for the cats as we have always done. Times will be difficult but we can rise to the challenge. We have no choice- to many precious little lives are depending on it.