Animal Rescue with Marion Garnett
Dedicated animal expert Marion Garnett, founder of the Ealing Animal Charities Fair, continues her column
OUR local National Animal Welfare Trust (NAWT) animal rehoming centre is desperate for volunteers. The centre isn’t posh but it is busy.
You’ve only got to visit the centre to see they do the best they can with the resources they have. Every inch is filled with love for the animals in their care.
But they need volunteers. People are needed for all sorts of jobs. As well as volunteering directly with the animals, they need people for tasks such as gardening, laundry, maintenance and in the café. Let’s look in more detail at the café.
It makes such a difference when you visit somewhere if there’s an onsite café and NAWT are fortunate to have one. Staffed by volunteers it raises crucial funds for the centre by serving teas, coffees and simple lunches. You don’t have to be MasterChef standard to volunteer there. You just need to be able to make a cup of tea and put together a lunch such as beans on toast or jacket potato. Alternatively, just be able to do a bit of washing up.
As well as individual volunteers being needed, NAWT also regularly welcome working visits from a wide range of companies. The work done during these corporate volunteering days can involve anything from repainting old kennels to building sheds. They are the sort of projects the centre is desperate to complete but never have time to fit in.
If you’re interested in volunteering at the centre, please email the manager, Jackie De Friez, at j.defriez@nawt.org.uk or call 020 8950 0177. Just to say, you do really need your own transport to access the centre.
One of the cats currently waiting there for a home is Simba. He came into NAWT’s care after his previous owner moved house but Simba couldn’t be taken with them. He is affectionate and loves being around people. In the past he hasn’t had access to the outdoors but NAWT think that in his new home he should be able to go into the garden provided he is supervised initially. If you could home this gorgeous boy see more details at nawt.org.uk.
Finally, NAWT will be holding their Spring Open Day and Fun Dog Show on Sunday May 15 (11am to 4pm). Dog Show classes will include handsomest hound and waggiest tail. There will also be dog agility and stalls. If you would like a stall contact Dan at d.beasley@nawt.org.uk. The rehoming centre is at Tyler’s Way, Watford by pass, WD25 8WT.