Animal Rescue with Marion Garnett
Dedicated animal expert Marion Garnett, founder of the Ealing Animal Charities Fair, continues her column
AS we look forward to the festive period and temperatures continue to drop, we must spare a thought for those who have served our country but find themselves homeless.
Research shows around 300 to 400 veterans end up on the streets every year, and up to 4,000 require urgent support to find accommodation.
Under the Armed Forces Covenant, veterans have access to enhanced housing support, but far too many still fall through the gaps and miss out on this. The No Homeless Veterans campaign (www.nohomeless veterans.org.uk), funded by the Forces in Mind Trust, calls on local authorities, homelessness charities and advice agencies to ‘Think Veteran’ when people approach them in housing need, in order to effectively identify former Servicemen and -women and channel them through to the best possible support.
The fact that this Christmas there will be veterans sleeping in inappropriate accommodation, in hostels and on the streets, is unacceptable. By working with local authorities and providing a clear pathway to housing, we can put an end to this and make sure no veteran is without a home at Christmas.
Co-chair of the Cobseo (Confederation of Service Charities) Housing Cluster
WHY our children and grandchildren will thank us for Brexit.
One of the big unsung benefits of Brexit is the effect it will have on global warming.
Once we are out of the EU, fruit, vegetables and other farm produce we now get from our near continental neighbours will be replaced at first by products from far more distant parts of the world. Transporting these will naturally pump millions more tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, so boosting the rate of global warming.
This will soon transform our agriculture and lifestyles here in the UK. In the south we shall be able grow, enjoy – and, of course, export – all sorts of exotic fruits and delicacies, and in the north lots of others which now grow only in southern Britain. (There will be the odd downside, of course – for example our coastal fish stocks will emigrate to the cooler waters of the arctic).
The Mediterranean lifestyle, which we have to go abroad for now, will be available to everyone. We shall be able to drink our sundowners every evening on the beach, lapped by a warm, inviting sea.
The sea will, of course, be a lot closer to many more of us as the rising oceans will swamp most low lying areas of the UK. But that will be a small price to pay. Won’t it?
Wolverhampton
CHRISTMAS is a magical time for families from Hampshire to enjoy all the lovely things about the festive season – from decorating the tree to visiting Santa’s Grotto to spending time with your loved ones. But when you’re a child going through cancer treatment, that’s all at risk.
I work and volunteer for CLIC Sargent, the UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people, and we’ve kick-started our Christmas campaign this December to highlight how cancer can cost children their Christmas. We are now asking the public for their support so that we can be there for these families helping to keep them together this festive season, and beyond.
Donations will help fund CLIC Sargent’s Homes from Home service, which provides free accommodation for families near hospitals, so they can be close to their child whilst facing cancer this Christmas. Your support will also mean CLIC Sargent social workers, based in hospitals and the community can provide practical, emotional and financial support.
As well as donating, there are other ways to support children with cancer this Christmas, from collecting stamps to visiting the charity’s online shop for Christmas shopping.
As we approach the end of the year, I’d like to say a personal thank you to everyone in the community who has supported CLIC Sargent this year. Your help and generosity means CLIC Sargent can continue to be there for more children and young people from Hampshire facing cancer.
For more information, visit www. clicsargent.org.uk/christmas or call 0300 330 0803.
CLIC Sargent, fundraising
THE general election is now in full swing and much as we would all like to concentrate on domestic matters, it is obvious that Brexit is one of the major factors which will influence our vote. The Tories seem to think that Brexit can be “done” speedily with a trade deal with the EU finalised by the end of 2020.
The fact that it has been such a difficult and protracted process so far means that we surely now realise that nothing is going to be quite as good as the membership deal we already have with the EU. So why are we spending so much time on a second or third best option?
The sensible thing to do now is to halt Brexit and set up Citizens Assemblies throughout the country, as has been put forward by others already.
One of the essentials would be to listen to Leave voters and their frustrations that their majority vote has not been implemented.
The many reasons for this must be analysed, as must the whole question of the years of misinformation on the European Union.
Many issues were not addressed adequately during the referendum campaign. They can and should be addressed now. But the first thing is to call a halt to this draining Brexit process.
By email
DEAR Barbara Fisher, I am sure you are aware that the Gazette is now only available at only a few local outlets. When we are able to get one, we read your article.
I was a bit surprised and rather disappointed that in this week’s edition (November 9) you mentioned the ‘River Frays.’
It is correctly called Frays River, named in honour of a John Fray, who cleverly dug a channel (a bit like the canal) to provide a constant supply of water to the six mills. It leaves the Colne in Denham Country Park and rejoins it at the end of Mill Road in West Drayton.
All six mills are still there I think, but have been converted to different uses from their original purpose.
An interesting bit of local history which should be acknowledged.
There’s a herd of elephants gathering at Marble Arch. Each of them has a name and a unique story explaining how they come to be there.
One of them, Sattao, was found on March 18, 2017 after the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) received reports of an orphaned baby elephant wandering alone in Tsavo East.
After a search, the KWS and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) located the elephant and Sattao was flown to the elephant orphanage in Nairobi (in case you’re wondering, it takes 11 people to lift a baby elephant into a plane).
He was very thin and had predator bites on his back. There had been poaching in the area and it’s thought that Sattao’s mother was one of the victims. What happens in such situations is that the calf remains with the herd, but as it loses strength due to lack of milk, it can’t keep up.
Created by artists Gillie and Marc, Sattao is part of a sculptural exhibit opened this week, at Marble Arch, called “The Orphans” featuring 21 life-size bronze elephants. Each orphan represents a real elephant currently in the care of SWT.
This is the largest such sculpture of an elephant herd in the world and highlights the plight of the species - with current trends, wild African elephants won’t exist by 2040.
You can see more about the elephant orphanage including footage of Sattao’s rescue at sheldrickwildlifetrust.org. The sculptures will be at Marble Arch for 1 year.
Sattao’s Mum is not the only Mum who needed help in order to ensure that, in the face of adversity, their offspring is given the chance of a happy life.
Similar to Sattao, Kirrin was reported to an animal welfare charity as being in need of help. She was spotted in the street, heavily pregnant with nowhere to go. Hounslow Animal Welfare Society came to her aid and, shortly afterwards, Kirrin gave birth to 5 kittens at a vets.
After the kittens were weaned, Kirrin moved to her current foster home on October 9. At only I year old, she is scarcely more than a kitten herself. Kirrin was a good Mum.
Even after her kittens had left her, when her foster carer watched a video of Kirrin with her kittens, at the sound of their crying, Kirrin came running into the room looking for them. Kirrin is friendly and loves playing. If you can offer this petite girl a loving home, see haws-animals.org.uk or call 020 8560 5443.