Woodside in the community
Contents 03 What We Do 04 Meet the Team 05 Get Involved! 06 Getting Involved: With Friends and in your Community! 07 Getting Involved: Fundraising Hints and Tips! 08 Getting Involved: Maximise your Sponsorship! 09 Become a Woodside Ambassador: Spread the Word! 10 Donate Your Time and Volunteer Welcome! Welcome to Woodside in the Community. Why not relax, grab a cuppa and read all about how you can help one of Leicester s most historic charities! Here you will find lots of ways to get involved with Woodside Animal Centre - RSPCA Leicestershire Branch. We will also show you how enjoyable and interesting it can be to help a charity such as Woodside. So whether you re flying solo or forming a fabulous fundraising posse, what are you waiting for?! Your support keeps our centre in top condition for all of our furry and feathered residents. It also ensures that we can continue to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome animals in need. We hope that you will be inspired to do whatever you can to help us make a real difference to the lives of animals in Leicestershire and Rutland. 11 Other Ways to Support Woodside For an e-version of this brochure, please email fundraising@rspcaleicester.org.uk
What We Do 3 At Woodside our first priority is, and always will be, the animals we care for! Woodside Animal Centre is the Leicestershire Branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). Our aims are: 1. To provide licenced facilities in which to care for and rehabilitate unwanted, abandoned and cruelly treated animals. 2. To find our animals loving, forever homes or release them back into the wild (as appropriate). 3. To educate the public about responsible pet ownership. Woodside s core values state that all of our animals will receive the necessary care, dignity and respect that they deserve and that we will pursue excellence in all that we do. Did you know that Woodside is one of the best performing animal rescue centres in the UK?! IN THE LAST 10 YEARS WE HAVE REHOMED A MASSIVE 36,240 ANIMALS! WE CONSISTENTLY REHOME OVER 90% OF OUR YEARLY ANIMAL INTAKE AND OUR ANIMAL RETURN RATE IS ONE OF THE LOWEST IN THE UK, AT 3-5%! While we proudly support the RSPCA Inspectorate, it is important to note that we are not directly controlled, nor funded by the national society. Woodside is an independent charity (number 222621) and does not receive any money from the UK Government or National Lottery Fund. We are entirely dependent on the donations from our very generous supporters. WOODSIDE IS NON-SELECTIVE - WE WELCOME ALL DOMESTIC ANIMALS, REGARDLESS OF BREED OR HEALTH STATUS! WE RESERVE 22 KENNELS TO ENHANCE OUR SUPPORT OF THE RSPCA INSPECTORATE! WOODSIDE ACTIVELY ENCOURAGES RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP WITHIN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. WE LEAD BY EXAMPLE AND ENSURE THAT ALL OF OUR ANIMALS RECEIVE REGULAR HEALTH CHECKS AND NECESSARY VETERINARY TREATMENT BEFORE BEING REHOMED! OUR DOG TRAINERS OFFER PUPPY SOCIALISATION CLASSES AS WELL AS ADULT BEGINNER, INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED DOG TRAINING CLASSES. For more information about fundraising or donating to Woodside, call 0116 232 4932 or email fundraising@rspcaleicester.org.uk
4 Meet the Team Jane Cooper-Peers Corporate Partnership Manager Jane has many years experience in providing solutions to the advertising, marketing, sponsorship and event needs of her clients. Her broad industry experience has enabled Jane to build and maintain solid client relationships in all areas of business. Now an ambassador for Woodside and member of the Institute of Fundraising, Jane is committed to developing and maintaining key partnerships with corporate supporters across Leicestershire and Rutland. Rebecca Lewis Grants, Trusts and Legacy Fundraiser Rebecca came to Woodside after initially training as a Biomedical Scientist - an experience that has provided her with excellent planning, research and organisational skills that are fundamental to the success of her role at Woodside. She says I was brought up in an animal - loving family and we ve always had pets. As a result of this I m very passionate about Woodside s mission to advance animal welfare and promote responsible pet ownership in the community. I really enjoy my role and it s great to know that I am helping such a fantastic cause. Jade Gibson Fundraising and Events Co-ordinator Jade has been working at Woodside for almost 6 years and initially started as a reception and administration apprentice. In 2015 Jade became Woodside s Fundraising and Events Co-ordinator and absolutely loves it! She says My role is very diverse, I get to meet a lot of great and compassionate people, and most of all I get to help out animals in need across Leicestershire. From when the animals are brought into our care and until they go home, everything my colleagues and I do is for them! Steve Sellars Volunteer Fundraising and Events Co-ordinator Steve has been with us at Woodside for many years, and initially helped to organise our annual Gala Day whilst still working at the British Shoe Corporation. Steve eventually became a Trustee of the animal centre but left this position to look after our fundraising events, charity shops and on-site pet shop. His lengthy involvement with Woodside has given Steve a wealth of knowledge and invaluable experience. Steve officially retired in 2013 but loves Woodside so much that he s back working with the fundraising team! For an e-version of this brochure, please email fundraising@rspcaleicester.org.uk
Get Involved! 5 There are many ways in which you can get involved with Woodside and help us care for our furry and feathered residents! You can: Fundraise on our behalf (see p6 for fun ideas to try at work, with family, friends and in your community). Help out with our popular events programme (both on site at the animal centre and within Leicestershire). Become a Woodside Ambassador (see p9 for more details on how you can make a real difference to the lives of animals within Leicestershire and Rutland). Spread the word by arranging for one of our experts to give a talk at your school, college, youth or community group about Woodside and what we do (see p9 for more details). Donate your time by volunteering with us (see p10 for more information on our huge range of volunteering opportunities). Your support will help us to: Provide accommodation, care, and enrichment to unwanted and abandoned animals within Leicestershire and Rutland. Rescue, shelter and rehabilitate cruelty case animals that are brought in to us by the RSPCA Inspectorate. Find our furry and feathered friends their loving forever homes. Reunite lost companion animals with their worried owners. Aid the recovery of injured wildlife and return them to their natural habitat. Woodside Animal Centre - RSPCA Leicestershire Branch is a UK registered charity (number: 222621). While we are very proud to support the RSPCA Inspectorate, we are NOT directly controlled or funded by the national society. For more information about fundraising or donating to Woodside, call 0116 232 4932 or email fundraising@rspcaleicester.org.uk
6 Getting Involved: With Friends and in your Community! Many animals arrive at Woodside every week and raising the funds needed to run and maintain the animal centre is an enormous challenge. We can only raise funds for our charity within the Leicestershire and Rutland area and we depend solely on the kind donations from our generous supporters in the community. So what are you waiting for? THE ANIMALS OF LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND NEED YOU! Why not have a fantastic time with the added bonus of knowing that you really are helping our furry residents at Woodside? Here are some fun ideas you can try out with friends, family and colleagues: 29p Generating Funds 1p Admin At Work There are many ways that you and your colleagues can fundraise at work. Why not hold a raffle to win a day s holiday? Add a swear box to your department or encourage staff/colleagues to donate an hour of their salary? You could have a cake bake or simply place collection tins around the office. Remember, every penny raised goes directly to help the animals at Woodside! With Friends We love any excuse for a party! So whether it s an afternoon tea, a good old fashioned pamper party or chic cocktail night, gather your mates together and ask everyone to donate. You could even transform your living room into a cinema for the evening and host a film night! Inspire your friends to fundraise on our behalf and together you could organise a car boot, fete, curry night, quiz night, karaoke evening, carwash, supermarket bagging or something totally original. The sky really is the limit! In your Community Indulge your sweet tooth by taking coffee and cake mornings to your local community centre and spread the word about Woodside. If you fancy getting your glad rags on then organise a charity ball, fashion show or glamorous gala night with all ticket proceeds going to our charity. You could even hold an open garden party at your home. The more athletic among you could even try a sponsored walk, run or hike. Remember, for every 1 we receive, we spend: 70p on animal welfare. 29p generating more funds 1p on admin 70p Animal Welfare Seasonal Take advantage of certain times of year and theme your fundraising events. Everyone loves an Easter egg hunt, summer BBQ, Halloween party or Santa Fun Run! Get in touch with Jade: jade.gibson@rspcaleicester.org.uk or Becky: becky.lewis@rspcaleicester.org.uk for more information, advice or just to tell us about your amazing plans! For an e-version of this brochure, please email fundraising@rspcaleicester.org.uk
Getting Involved: Fundraising Hints and Tips! 7 We want you to make the most of your event and have a great time whilst helping us care for animals in need. Here are some important hints: 1. Event Choose an event that you enjoy most importantly we want you to HAVE FUN! 2. Date Make sure that the event doesn t clash with any other commitments or high profile events. 3. Time Choose an ideal time so that attendance at your event is high. 4. Place Match your venue to your fundraising activity. 5. Guests Who is the event aimed at? What is your capacity? 6. Planning Make sure you have enough time to plan the event - and don t be afraid to ask our friendly fundraising team for help and advice. Handy Tips Ask for the venue at a reduced rate (or even for free) and see if it can be decorated for the event too. Ask local entertainers or bands to perform free of charge. Get local businesses to sponsor you and donate prizes to auction or include in raffles. Try to get the whole event sponsored - don t be afraid to ask in the name of charity! Charge for tickets/entry - don t overprice your event but don t under - sell it either. If the venue is making sales on the night, ask if they can donate a % of their profit. Stick to your budget and try to acquire as many things as possible. 7. Budget Work out your budget and stick to it!! 8. Promotion Where will you promote the event? Who will you contact to promote it (local newspaper/radio)? 9. Safety Find out all the safety restrictions do you need a risk assessment, special licence or permissions? 10. Sponsors/donations: Spend as little as possible - acquire, borrow or get items donated. OUR FABULOUS WOODSIDE FUNDRAISERS CAN GIVE YOU LOTS OF HELP AND ADVICE ABOUT PLANNING YOUR EVENT SO DON T HESITATE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH JADE, JADE.GIBSON@RSPCALEICESTER.ORG.UK OR BECKY, BECKY.LEWIS@RSPCALEICESTER.ORG.UK WHO CAN ALSO PROVIDE YOU WITH: Collecting tins, tubs and dogs, Bunting, Clipboards, Fundraising tabards, Woodside tablecloths, Woodside information boards and leaflets, and more! For more information about fundraising or donating to Woodside, call 0116 232 4932 or email fundraising@rspcaleicester.org.uk
8 Getting Involved: Maximise your Sponsorship! Make it personal People are more likely to donate if your fundraising page and form are personalised, so upload photos and tell people what you re doing and why! Inspire donors by talking about Woodside Animal Centre, our work, and how their donations can make all the difference to our animals. Keep it up to date The more you keep everyone up to date with your preparations, the more likely they are to sponsor you. Set up a blog, Twitter/Instagram account, Facebook page or website, and be sure to post regular updates. Once you ve completed your fundraising activity, send out a letter or email thanking your supporters and let everyone know when you ll be collecting donations. Tell everyone Make sure you tell everyone about your fundraising activity! Ask the local media to advertise your event and link to your fundraising page. Use posters, social media, word of mouth and your own contacts to make sure the event is as visible as possible. Chase the money Is your event over? That doesn t mean you have to stop fundraising! Chase up the people you couldn t speak to before and show them what you did and why to guarantee additional donations. Make sure your first donation sets a good standard This is really important, as people often decide how much to sponsor you based on the last donation made. Ask a family member or one of your more generous friends to get the ball rolling! For an e-version of this brochure, please email fundraising@rspcaleicester.org.uk
Become a Woodside Ambassador: Spread the word! 9 Here at Woodside we CARE for animals and you can too! All our ambassadors are highly motivated and passionate about animals and their welfare. Becoming an ambassador is a great way to show and share your support for Woodside Animal Centre - RSPCA Leicestershire Branch. You will feel like you are a part of something great that can make a real impact in the lives of local animals! Benefits of Becoming a Woodside Ambassador You will be directly benefitting the lives of all our animals simply by supporting and shouting about the work that we do. You will receive our newsletter and invites to our annual events. You will be able to take part in a range of activities and meet new people with a passion for animal welfare and responsible pet ownership. You would be very welcome to arrange visits to the animal centre for a guided tour packed full of information about the animal centre. As an ambassador you should: Get in touch with us by simply visiting the centre or giving us a call. You can also contact us via post, Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter. Share stories about the ways in which Woodside has made a difference to the lives of animals in your community. Support us by adding us as your favourite charity on ebay (see page 11). Help raise FREE funds for us whenever you shop at thousands of shops online at Give as You Live (see page 11). Promote the Woodside Ambassador programme among your family, friends and colleagues. Arrange for a Woodside representative to give an interesting, interactive talk at your local school, college, university, organisation, community or social group. Co-ordinate or host a fundraising event in your area. You can be involved in so many ways just call Becky or Jade on 0116 232 4932 for more information. SPREADING THE WOODSIDE WORD The Woodside education team regularly visits local schools, colleges, youth and community groups to talk about the work carried out at the animal centre. Our talks are a part of our programme of information and education. They are also an important investment in the future of animal welfare. Our highly experienced and enthusiastic speakers are DBS checked and may be accompanied by a temperament-tested dog if required and available. Talk topics include, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED to: The needs of pets. Responsible pet ownership. Animal care and behaviour. Day-to-day work at Woodside and the history of the animal centre. If you would like a member of our team to give a talk to your group about anything Woodside, then please contact Jade on 0116 224 2440 or send an email to fundraising@rspcaleicester.org.uk. For more information about fundraising or donating to Woodside, call 0116 232 4932 or email fundraising@rspcaleicester.org.uk
10 Donate Your Time and Volunteer! You may think that volunteering at Woodside is all about loving animals and wanting to give something back. But that s only half the story! As a volunteer at Woodside you will find that donating your time also brings unexpected rewards and can: Provide a fulfilling occupation during retirement or a career break. Give you an opportunity to meet like-minded people who also care for animals. Give you the satisfaction of knowing that you re making a real difference to the lives of animals in Leicestershire and Rutland. We have a wide range of volunteering opportunities available including: Administration, customer service (telephone) and reception roles (you will need to be over 16 years of age). Cat, dog and small animal care (18 years and over). Charity shop volunteering (18 years and over). Dog walking (18 years and over). Fundraising. Helping out at our many events (both at Woodside and in the community). Home visiting (you will need to be over 21 years of age and able to drive). Cat Fostering Volunteering doesn t have to mean working at the animal centre! Our foster family is made up of dedicated volunteers who offer a loving, temporary home to the large number of cats and kittens that come to Woodside every year. You do not need any particular experience to become a fosterer, however, you must be a realistic, patient and compassionate animal lover. You need to be able to empathise with our cats to boost their confidence and work through any anxieties that they may have. Support and advice is on hand at all times throughout your fostering experience; and we are constantly developing more training for fosterers and their families. Key Requirements of a Cat Fosterer You must live within easy travelling distance (maximum 30-40 minutes) of Woodside. You must have a spare room where the cats and kittens can enjoy a safe and quiet space. All current pet cats must be fully vaccinated before you can foster any of our cats/kittens. If you are interested in becoming a cat fosterer please call our Front of House Team on 0116 233 6677 or send an email to: animalcare@rspcaleicester.org.uk. Ideally, we would love for you to commit to a set number of hours per week, but you can also volunteer as and when you have any free time. Please contact our volunteer co-ordinator Lydia Hallam on 0116 224 2437 or by email at vc@rspcaleicester.org.uk for more information. For an e-version of this brochure, please email fundraising@rspcaleicester.org.uk
Other Ways to Support Woodside 11 Give as you Live Give as you Live is a shopping and price comparison website that gives you exclusive offers and deals on your favourite brands when shopping online in over 4,000 stores. If you sign up for FREE at www.giveasyoulive.com they will donate to Woodside every time you shop - all without costing you a penny! ebay for Charity ebay for Charity makes it easy for members of the ebay community to support Woodside Animal Centre! Simply add us as your favourite charity (for FREE). Sellers can give a portion of the proceeds from their sales and buyers can add a donation to their purchases during checkout. Anyone with a PayPal account can also donate straight to us - without buying or selling anything. Make your money go further by ticking the Gift Aid box and the taxman will add 25% to your donation. Gift Aid Signing up to Gift Aid is a simple way to increase the value of your gift to Woodside - at no extra cost to you! It just means that we can claim an extra 25% back from the government if you pay tax in the UK. It s really easy to sign up - just tick the Gift Aid box if you are donating online or fill out a short form if you donate to the Animal Centre or one of our charity shops. Please encourage your sponsors to tick the Gift Aid box on your sponsorship form as without this we can t legally claim Gift Aid. Push Yourself Further! Ever dreamt about doing something awesome for a charity close to your heart? Do you want to push yourself to the limit all in the name of Woodside Animal Centre? Well now you can! Simply head over to www.globaladventurechallenges.com and sign up for one of their many exciting, life - changing challenges now and show your support for Woodside. Please call Becky on 0116 232 4932 or email her at becky.lewis@rspcaleicester.org.uk for more information about the many ways you can help Woodside. Leaving a gift to Woodside in your will Your will is one of the most important documents that you will ever write. It is a chance for you to help and provide for your loved ones as well as a chance to make a lasting difference to the causes you care about long after you re gone. If you would like to know more about leaving a gift in your will to Woodside Animal Centre - RSPCA Leicestershire Branch (charity number: 222621), please email Becky at becky.lewis@rspcaleicester.org.uk or call her for an informal chat on 0116 232 4932. Request your free legacy information pack today! Name: Telephone: Address: I would like to request my legacy pack for advice on leaving a gift in my will to RSPCA Woodside Animal Centre X After death, leave life X For more information about fundraising or donating to Woodside, call 0116 232 4932 or email fundraising@rspcaleicester.org.uk
RSPCA Woodside Animal Centre 190 Scudamore Road, Leicester, LE3 1UQ Tel: 0116 232 4932 Email: fundraising@rspcaleicester.org.uk www.rspcaleicester.org.uk