NASSL fundraising for a new home in order to survive
The National Animal Sanctuaries Support League (NASSL) is desperately trying to raise funds to secure a new premises after being told it needs to leave its current home.
Based in Darlington, the charity takes in cats and dogs, is involved in TNR projects, and cares for local feral colonies. It also works with the Women’s Refuge and the Probation Service to help in emergency situations when family pets need looking after in times of crisis. Now the charity’s existence is under threat.
The charity was founded in 1993 by Pauline Wilson and the late Ray Mackinlay and for the last 25 years NASSL’s home has been situated on a working farm and it is thanks to being in this location costs have been kept to a minimum. Unfortunately, following the death of the farmer, the charity was given six months’ notice to leave.
NASSL has identified a new site not far from their existing location and by purchasing the land in the charity’s name aim to secure its future. However, NASSL are financially short of the asking price and are fundraising hard to make up the difference to be able to purchase the land. In addition, there is work to be done to prepare the land to suit the rescue’s needs. It is vital to get the foundations right which will involve levelling and preparing the ground, and laying of stones which is estimated at costing around £8,000 — quite a chunk out of any charity’s reserves during such difficult times.
The charity has set up a Go
Fund Me page — ‘Save Our Sanctuary’ — to try to raise the funds to be able to make this dream a reality. It has currently received over £12,000 in pledges towards an overall target of £20,000.To find out more about the campaign, visit www.gofundme.com/f/zdqyz-save-our-sanctuary?utm_ campaign=p_cf+share-flow1&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_ source=customer or read more on the charity’s website: https://nassl.co.uk
Your Cat writer Sonja K Steiner says: “Having volunteered for this rescue, I know they go above and beyond to help an animal in need. It was thanks to them that I met and adopted my cat Willow.The pandemic has affected so many rescues but they have continued to offer a safe haven for animals and met all the costs associated with that.”
If the new site can be secured, once it is ready, then all the cat cabins and dog kennels need to be taken down and reconstructed at the new sanctuary and all the animals will have to be relocated — an immense amount of work for the volunteers but NASSL are not afraid of a challenge!