Autumn 2013 Newsletter
Autumn 2013 Newsletter for
Feel-good
Summer
The summer
months can sometimes be a bit tricky for us in the search for potential forever
homes for our animals. This is the season of school’s out, beach holidays and
lazy days in the park and new pets don’t always fit into the schedule. The July
heatwave all but halted adoptions for three weeks – perhaps everyone was just
too surprised that we were having a decent summer for once! Despite this, our
dedication to the cause has shone through and we are delighted to report that
we have found homes for 92 animals over the course of May, June & July
after admitting 125.
We’ve parted company with some cracking animals over the past few months
including Blanche, our long-stay giant rabbit, Melvin; a cheeky Staffie cross
(pictured), and who can forget our pair of neglected Dobermans Roxy &
Bella, now living in the beautiful Nottinghamshire countryside.
We also managed to have a bit of fun ourselves. We celebrated our 50thanniversary
as a registered charity with a party for all our staff and volunteers in June,
and in May we held our first Vintage Tea Party to great success. We all dressed
up in our finest 1940s gear and ate far, far too much cake than is healthy –
but it doesn’t matter while we are enjoying ourselves and raising funds at the same time!
The problem is we’ve now got the taste for partying, so the emphasis
remains on fun for our forthcoming autumn fundraisers. We’ve got a boozy
adults-only Pirate Party in September, a Strictly-style tea dance in November
as well as our third Purrfect Party gala which will be our official 50th
birthday celebration. All these events are guaranteed to be worth booking in
for - details at the end of the newsletter.
Dispatches from a volunteer
Local writer and volunteer David Hartley
reports on his experience playing shop at the Didsbury shop Book Day events...
Half the battle with running a charity shop is giving people a reason to
come through the front door in the first place -beyond their own sense of
compassion of course. A charity shop, after all, is just a shop, and it has to
play the retail game. It has targets to meet, staff to pay, displays to create
and quality stock to source. But a lot of people don’t expect much from charity
shops beyond so special, focussed event days such as Book Day are helpful for
creating a bit more interest.
On this Book Day we were blessed with sunshine so we created an outdoor
table display with a magnificent 1980s typewriter as a centrepiece. I felt like
a contestant on The Apprentice: I had
to turn a profit; I had to sell that typewriter!
So we kept the tables stocked and I put my bookworm knowledge to good
use for once and made displays based on what I thought might sell. And it
worked: passersby stopped to browse the table, many more came in to the shop
itself and flicked through the clothes and shoes and bric-a-brac.
And that is all it takes. Charity shops trade on intrigue: what hidden
gems at bargain prices could be stashed away on the next shelf or rail? In
normal high street shops you always kind of know what you are getting, but in a
charity shop, who knows what you’ll uncover? It’s like pure, thrilling
shopping! All people need is an excuse to stop and pop in and then the intrigue
gets them.
We smashed our target. Obliterated it. Half of that might have been me
stocking up on sci-fi, but hey, it’s all good money! But best of all? We
managed to shift that typewriter.
Didsbury shop Book Days take
place on the first Saturday of every month. Keen reader? Get down to one to
find some proper booky bargains!
Canine enrichment
After a fantastic appeal on our Facebook page we were able to raise
enough funds to buy our dogs some enrichment equipment for the kennels. It is
vital that a dog in rehabilitation with us is given the physical and mental
stimulation it needs. Kennels can be stressful spaces, especially for the most
vulnerable canines we take into our care.
Thanks to kind donations and generous purchases from our supporters our
dogs are now the lucky recipients of a paddling pool, a sand pit, a jumping
platform, a see-saw and lots of new toys for our dogs to enjoy. Here’s Tyson
demonstrating the fun you can have with a sand pit...
We are always coming up with new ideas to keep the kennel enrichment
high. We’d love for any budding gardeners out there to come down to the kennels
and plant out some tubs and pots of chamomile and lavender to keep the place
smelling good, and we’d love donations of unwanted soup ladles to fill with
treats and hang in the cages. If you can help with any of this, just drop us an
email rspcamcr_salford@btconnect.com
Superhero Fundraiser
Superstar
volunteer Shealyn Horrocks has been helping out at branch events for four years
now, despite the fact that she has only just turned fourteen. And she doesn’t
escape from her duties at home either because she helps out her mum as a foster
carer for some of our most vulnerable cats.
Always
cheerful and willing to get stuck in, Shealyn has been a real asset to the
branch and we hope she’ll continue to volunteer with us for as long as
possible.
In the
meantime, Shealyn is braving the Imperial War Museum Zipwire Challenge and
raising money for us in the process. If you would like to cheer her on by
sponsoring her, you can do just that on her Just Giving page:
If you are
as brave as Shealyn and want to join in the fun we still have spaces remaining
for the Zipwire. Give us a call on 0161 882 0680 or email rspcamcr_salford@btconnect.com
Upcoming Events
Sat 21st Sept
Pirate Parrrty
The Kings Arms, Salford
Sat 13th Oct
Zip Wire Challenge
Imperial War Museum North
Sat 9th Nov
A Very British Tea Dance
St. Werburgh’s Church
Sat 23rd Nov
Purrfect Party Gala
Worsley Court House
posted by RSPCA Manchester and Salford Branch @ Monday, September 09, 2013
