Fundraising For Cats Protection

My name is Kate Hall and I'd like to tell you a bit about fundraising for the Cats Protection Bridgend Adoption Centre.

What do we fundraisers get up to, I hear you ask? Well, our small band of dedicated volunteers all contribute to getting out and about, spreading the word about the work done at the Centre and try to raise some cold hard cash while we're at it.
 

 

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n the colder months we try to stick indoors in warm spots (we are each of us cat trained after all!) and arrange bucket collections in supermarkets, shopping centres and other shops that are kind enough to let us fundraise with them. We go to places as varied as Asda, IKEA and Pyle Garden Centre, and always enjoy meeting members of the public who stop to chat to us, pick up information leaflets about aspects of cat care etc.

One of the best if not THE best thing about meeting people at these collections is hearing people talk about their beloved cats. There is nothing more emotional than hearing somebody talk of an old cat that has passed away recently, a childhood cat they've never forgotten or their newest addition that they have 5 million pictures of on their smartphones!

 

Summer soon arrives, however, and this is when the outdoor events are booked by our events volunteer Janet. We attend family fun days, fêtes, festivals and other events. Some are on quite a small scale, such as the Penyfai and Brackla Fun Days; some are larger, such as the South Wales Dog and Family Fun Day; and the largest we have taken part in, the Vale of Glamorgan Show, is huge! These events require more time and preparation on our part. We usually take a soft toy tombola, lucky dip and merchandise, and also hand out goody bags, so putting together all this and working out which of our volunteers are available takes extra planning.

We always find a bit of time to wander around the other stalls and so we enjoy the events ourselves as well. Oh, and of course there’s always time to have a picnic and sit and people-watch if the weather is fine. After the events, we always assess how successful they’ve been and modify our plans for the next year. We’re never short of events to attend! And after all the fundraising is over for the year, we go out for a nice meal and recall the highlights and amusing stories of the year. Last year, some of us even went on a visit to the Supreme Cat Show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham and returned with all sorts of goodies for our own beloved cats!

If you can spare just 2-4 hours a year then please get in touch. Or if you would like to know more about fundraising with us then please let the Adoption Centre know. We are always looking for more people to help with collections and events. You will make new friends, learn new skills and have a lot of fun along the way.