Spotlight on... Stonewall & Stonewall Information Service

As part of May's open theme focus on LGBT Charities and Support groups, I spoke to Diana, a volunteer at Stonewall's information service for a little more detail on what that entails.

What made you want to get involved with stonewall and join your current team of colleagues? – I admire the work that Stonewall does and wanted to put my skills to good use

What are the most common questions you get asked by individuals and what do you say to them? – Various, but some of the most common are around Equal Marriage, Parenting, Immigration and bullying or harassment at work – Answer by providing signposting to relevant organisations and/or Stonewall info/publications and guides.

Do you have any success stories or a particular event that has stuck with you long afterwards? – None in particular, but for many callers just being able to speak to someone in confidence who will listen and offer some form of help or direction to organisations that can help is enough. When you sign off of a call and someone tells you that you have helped it can be very rewarding.

What does Stonewall do to set themselves apart from other LGBT support groups and charities? – Stonewall is renowned for its campaigning and lobbying work and also works with a whole range of agencies to address the needs of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals in the wider community.

Finally, if there is anything you would like to say to the readers of Project52, what would that be? –  I have found volunteering for Stonewall a rewarding experience and if you are interested in helping out get involved either by volunteering or raising money for Stonewall http://www.stonewall.org.uk/what_you_can_do/

With thanks to Diana 

"Stonewall’s info line on 08000 50 20 20 can offer information and referrals to callers on a wide range of topics, including education, parenting and employment. The info line is open Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm, but you can also find our info service online atwww.stonewall.org.uk/info or email us on info@stonewall.org.uk." 

Spotlight on.... The Society for Abandoned Animals

As part of the preparation for 'Help the Homeless Animals' month, I interviewed Rachel, who is one of the volunteers and a trustee at SAA (The Society for Abandoned Animals), which is located at Mosley Acre Farm, Stretford, Manchester, UK. In addition to the interview which can be found below, myself and my partner also visited the shelter on March 1st, 2014 with a small donation of toys and treats for some of the animals.

The SAA was started by Peggy Henderson, who lived in the Manchester area, back in the 1960's. Back then, there was a housing shortage as many pre-existing houses were no longer fit for use, leaving the occupants needing accommodation until a new house could be built or found. For many of these individuals, it meant that their beloved pets had to be re-homed or fostered as they could not be taken into the temporary accommodation, and so, Peggy stepped into the breach, either by re-homing or fostering many of these animals as possible. As the years went on, new, permanent shelter premises were looked for, which at one time included a move all the way to Buxton, Derbyshire! This location was too far away for the team at the SAA and for the people and pets of Manchester of whom Peggy wanted to help, so a final property search was undertaken, which lead to the permanent location of Mosley Acre Farm in 1994. The shelter was named as 'The Peggy Henderson Animal Sanctuary' although The Society for Abandoned Animals is the official charity name for the shelter.

This blog, offers a little more information on the history of the SAA, https://saablogzone.wordpress.com/about/ 

Peggy herself is sadly no longer with us, having passed away in 2004(?) but her legacy still lives on at the SAA, which is affectionately known as 'Peggy's Place' by many of the locals.

During my visit to the SAA, I was shown isolation units for cats, dogs and rabbits (not inside for health and safety reasons), Peggy's memorial garden where tags for animals can be left in memorandum, the green house where some of the plants sold at SAA fundraisers are grown and kept; a private stable block for horses owned by Unite To Care, which is another animal rescue organisation, they provide the rehabilitation for Walter and a small number of horses kept at Mosley Acre Farm.

The small white 'dimple' on Walter's rear is not a dimple, but in fact the remains of where a large label bearing his subject number from the testing facility was. It is not visible on these images, but there are also patches on Walter where he was shaved and the fur is starting to grow back. He is very wary of humans still but will respond to his name and was willing to approach the fence of his paddock when my guide, Rachel called his name.

I spent some time in the rabbit indoor pens, which is Rachel's specialist area, meeting some of the current residents. Rachel told me of how some of the rabbits under her care came to be there due to people buying them for their children and the novelty wearing off, that a few had been rescued from a meat factory, of which those few needed extra time before they could be re-homed to learn how to be a rabbit; that they had never seen greens or knew they were safe to eat. One particular rabbit, a harlequin coloured female had ended up losing her eye, leaving her partially blind due to problems from before arriving at the SAA and is now a longer term resident.

The pens that the rabbits were kept in were larger than any I have ever seen at a shelter or private residence, leaving the rabbits with the room to move and eat, sleep and play in comfort.  The shelter makes use of Carpet books by using the samples to provide different textures and warmth for the rabbits to sit/lie on and are often looking for donations of these and newspapers especially for use in the rabbit toilet areas. My partner spent time with one occupant, Nick, and then with a pair, called Peaches and Lily, of whom Rachel is hoping to re-home as a pair, but lily is sometimes over-looked due to being white with red (albino) eyes, which can be off putting to some. I had donated a wood and rope toy for the rabbits, so this went in for Peaches and Lily to share. 

SAA also provides at cost, private boarding for rabbits so that their owners do not need to rely on neighbours or inexperienced relatives for their pet rabbit care during holidays etc.


After this, we went into the cat house, where all the cats who are up for re-homing are kept. Again, the cat pens were quite spacious with different levels to them and room for scratching posts and other toys to play with. Rachel and one of the other shelter volunteers had been spending time with two cats in particular prior to the afternoon visit, which were two fluffy black and white females, called Daphne and Velma. They were originally part of a group, all named after Scooby Doo characters by their previous owner, who sadly had not fully socialized them, leaving them shy and nervous of strangers and carers alike. Of the two, Velma is much fluffier than her sister and was starting to trust and play with Rachel, whereas Daphne is more comfortable with playing at a distance, with a laser pointer pen light being her favourite game. These two cats were very attractive, but would need an experienced owner to give them time and patience to grow into wonderful pets.

I then went into the pen of Fudge, a large, black and very affectionate tom, who was purring very loudly in no time at all. Fudge is about 10 years old but in good health with bright eyes and would make a wonderful house cat for somebody who would like a lap cat. Fudge had previously come from a very good home, but his owner had to give up him and his sister, Coco, as they were emigrating and sadly could not take the cats with them. Coco is slimmer and smaller than fudge, still affectionate, but is currently recovering from an allergy that made some of her fur fall out, and so she is in a separate pen for the time being. I also got to meet another female, a tortoiseshell and white, called Sienna. Sienna came in as a stray but was very clean, in good health and highly affectionate cat, she was clearly somebody's pet, but as she had no microchip and nobody had come forward, she is now up for re-homing. Sienna, like fudge, would make a great house cat and lap cat. During my time in her pen she was quite happy to jump onto my partner's lap while we were trying to take photos of her and even let me hold her for short while.

After this, we went to the 'Animal Lounge' which was paid for by 'Shrimad Rajchandra Mission, Dharampur (UK)' in August, 2013. The animal lounge is a large room with a small kitchinette attached, set up like a typical living room, with sofas, a coffee table, bookshelf and display unit, plus a large cage. The cage is used for cage training with the dog residents so that if a new owner needs to use it (when appropriate) they may do so.

At present, the SAA has kennel facilities for three dogs as they believe that a smaller number is easier to manage for care, rehabilitation and the dogs emotional welbeing, as a smaller number means less upset animals getting anxious from being in the kennels, then barking and upsetting other dog residents, which I have seen happen at other shelters in the past. This also leaves the dog carers free for more one on one time with the dogs. Whilst visiting, I also got to meet Chris, who does most of the training and handling and home check visits for the canine residents. At the time of my visit, there were only two dogs under the care of the SAA. Dexter, a large male and handsome staffordshire terrier, who took great delight in climbing onto one of the sofas to sit between Chris and Rachel during my visit. As a 'staffie' owner myself, I know that the reputation of the dogs is greatly undeserved, as it is often bad ownership/care that can lead to a 'bad' dog. Dexter himself has been a resident at the SAA since April 2013, and makes use of the animal lounge so that a home set up does not become unfamiliar to him. I took with me a purple tennis ball for Dexter, who apparently can fit three of them in his mouth! The tennis ball, in typical staffie fashion was destroyed, but enjoyed, by Dexter in under five minutes.

Rachel explained that some of the volunteers at the shelter make use of the animal lounge so that if they are unable to get down to clean out pens/animal areas or are not strong enough to walk the dogs, they can still sit and read with or spend time with some of the animals in the lounge to help get the animals used to human interaction and socialization.

we also spent time in the animal lounge with the other dog in residence, a ten year old tan coloured cross breed named Honey. Chris explained that Honey had not had any socilization prior to arriving at the SAA, so she had been doing cage training with her, using reward training techniques and would often arrange for over-night stays with some of the other volunteers so that Honey could learn how to be a good dog from their (volunteers) older dogs in a home fostering situation.

Honey enjoying a biscuit I took up for her

Before leaving, we went to see the feral cats out-houses, which are like giant garden sheds, with shelter, food and bedding inside for the feral cats to use as they wished when the weather is bad or they want somewhere to go. The SAA does neuter all of their feral/semi-feral cats and sometimes will re-home them on farms as they make good mouse catchers for those who have areas at risk from rodent infestations. Rachel told me that their local brownie group often collects cat food and then when they visit in the summer, the brownies are given sheets with all the feral cats on so they might try to spot and count them all.

Inside one of the feral shelters

Finally, we spent a few moments in Peggy's memorial garden to pay our respects to the woman who started it all, then set off on the drive home.

The shelter relies heavily on donations and costs approximately £400 per day to run, they have a small number of paid staff and a larger volunteer team.Their fundrasing is done mainly through sponsorship and open day events, such as fairs. The next fair to be held is their Spring Fair at the end of this month.

Here is the interview transcript with Rachel who was our tour guide and key source of information on the SAA.

What made you want to become a volunteer at SAA and how did you get involved? 

In December 2002 we adopted a rabbit who at the time was their longest stay animal and I volunteered to help at the next Spring Fair as a way of thanking the SAA for all they had done caring for him during his 8 month stay. After that, I was hooked!

Which sector of the sanctuary do you work in the most? 

I help hands on with the rabbits and with the Fundraising.

After being at SAA for 10 years, you will have seen many changes and many animals come and go. Are there any particular ones that have stuck in your mind?

There have been many animals that I would have loved to have given a home to if I could - probably too many to mention.   I feel so sorry for the animals who are constantly over looked because of their bred/nature/colour and I wish I could home them all.  we have a lovely Staffie cross in at the moment -please visit our website www.saarescue.co.uk and look for Dexter in our dogs for re-homing section, sadly, because of the bad press his breed receives, no one wants him.  

**Edit - A home visit check for the potential adoption of Dexter was being arranged in early March**

I have heard that a young gelding, named Walter, is being stabled at SAA after being released from a testing facility (facility name unknown) along with another horse. Is this true and is it common to have a small number of animals come to reside at the SAA after legitimate release from test facilities?  

These were signed over to the care of another organisation - Unite to Care - we just provided stabling for them.  The dogs, cats and rabbits we take in are signed over by their owners, or in the case of cats and rabbits sometimes found as strays.

As you're also a trustee of SAA, how does that role differ from your volunteer position?

It's like wearing two hats.  When I'm hands on with the animals, I do the tasks the same as all the other volunteers. But there are times when I wear another hat and have a greater responsibility.

What are the SAA's plans for the future? Do they wish to expand or to purchase another site so that they may have multiple shelters under the SAA name? 

We've no plans to buy another site, but are currently working on cat development plans, with long term plans to increase the number of dog kennels.

And finally, if there is anything you could say to the readers of Project52, what would that be?

There is so much to that - from a rescue point of view, please support rescue not pet shops or breeders.  If you have animals, please ensure they are neutered, this prevents unwanted  pregnancies when there are already many hundreds of thousands of unwanted animals in rescue looking for homes.  Also microchip them, we receive lots of reports of well loved animals who have gone missing, sadly without a microchip the chances of them being reunited with their animals are slim.   As some who has animals of their own - insure them as vets bills can easily run to hundreds or even thousands of pounds. 

Thank you to Rachel and the wonderful staff and volunteers at SAA from myself and the readers of Project52 

If you would like to visit, volunteer or support the SAA in any way, please get in touch with them via their website, http://www.saarescue.co.uk/home

The next open day, which is their 'Spring Fair Fundraiser' is on April 27th 2014. Map and directions can be found on their website under the 'contact us' section.  

Spotlight on.... Soi Dog Foundation

As April is 'help the homeless Animals' month here at Project52, it seemed only fitting to have a Q&A session with a wonderful not-for-profit organisation, the Soi Dog Foundation!

With thanks to Gregg at Soi Dog.

Soi Dog foundation is a relatively young foundation, it is a not-for-profit foundation aimed at helping the dogs and cats of Phuket, Thailand, and was started in 2003, meaning that it has recently celebrated it's 10th anniversary. What inspired you to want to become involved in working for Soi Dog Foundation?

Soi Dog Foundation has a great reputation in the animal welfare field. For years, I had heard that Soi Dog not only has a well-run animal shelter, it is establishing a healthier, smaller dog population throughout the island of Phuket, it responds to disasters, and it collaborates with other organizations. This, combined with the fact that the organization is growing rapidly, motivated me to join Soi Dog. 

Many charities and not-for-profit organizations use charity shops, public donations or fundraising events such as table-top sales to raise funds and awareness for their cause. How does Soi Dog foundation raise awareness for their cause; the dogs and cats of Phuket that need aid and care?

Our most effective means for raising awareness is our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/SoiDogPageInEnglish . We post stories of the dogs and cats we rescue and restore to health, updates about our campaign to end the dog meat trade, and other news. Our website.www.soidog.org, also has a lot of information. Soi Dog supporters around the world plan events to raise awareness and much-needed funds to help the dogs and cats in Thailand. Because Soi Dog receives no money from the government and is entirely dependent on donations from people around the world, this support is essential.

A rescued cat receiving treatment

Upon doing research for this Q&A session, I found articles that claimed that Soi Dog Foundation was a scam, and then many times in those same articles, revealed that they had found that others were committing scams and fraud by claiming to be a part of Soi Dog Foundation, and then giving false links for people to send donations to, some even went as far as to pose as the founder of Soi Dog Foundation, John Dalley. [NB I spoke to a member of the real Soi Dog Foundation for this Q&A session]. How has these scams that have clearly slandered the name of Soi Dog Foundation damaged it's reputation and how has Soi Dog bounced back from this?

It's very sad that some people feel the need to hurt organizations that are successful, or use that success for their own ends. Soi Dog has been subjected to this, but the impact was really quite small. Many people know that Soi Dog is doing effective hands-on work to help animals in need, and very few people have been convinced by any misrepresentations. 

One of the ways that Soi Dog raises the much needed funds for veterinary care of the animals is by adoption/sponsorship of some of the animals in Soi Dog's care, how else does Soi Dog raise funds for their cause?

Our most important source of support is from people sponsoring animals in our care (https://www.soidog.org/en/sponsor-a-dog-or-cat/). Some people make larger donations, such as for building a shelter for dogs rescued from the dog meat trade, which is wonderful. We also request grants from foundations that give to animal welfare programs.

"Sleeky" - A Dog helped by Soi Dog Foundation

A wonderful example of how others can see for themselves the important work Soi Dog Foundation does is by viewing 'soi-dogs the-movie' How has the film changed the public's view of Soi Dog and has it had a positive impact on the future of the foundation?

The movie has been terrific for raising awareness about Soi Dog Foundation worldwide. It has also given us legitimacy by showing that we really help many dogs and cats in need.

Another way that Soi Dog foundation helps the homeless animals of Phuket is by finding them new homes, some times these new homes can be abroad, with a travel carer assigned to the dog to help them successfully fly from Thailand to their new country of residence. Do you have a favourite re-homing story to share?

 A story and photos are at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.626102760764796.1073742418.108625789179165&type=3&uploaded=9

Soi Dog foundation has managed to expand to have a branch in Bangkok, Thailand and has previously joined forces with other animal rescue groups to support each other during times of flooding. What are Soi Dog Foundation plans for the future?

We definitely intend to address the huge stray dog problem in Bangkok. There are hundreds of thousands of dogs there and we need to spay, neuter, and vaccinate the majority of them to humanely reduce their population and decrease the incidence of rabies. We also want to extend Soi Dog's reach to other places where there are large street dog populations, in Thailand and possibly elsewhere. 

Finally, if there was anything you could say to the readers of Project52 blog, what would that be?

Thank you for taking the time to learn about Soi Dog. All of our work to help animals is only possible because of support from people like you!

Thank You Gregg from myself and the readers of Project52 for helping Soi Dog Foundation carry out their important work!

Spotlight on.... I Have A Name.Org

For this spotlight feature, I spoke to Jon Linton, founder and chief photographer of IHAVEANAME.org, a small not-for-profit organization, based in Phoenix, Arizona, aimed at reminding society at large that those who are homeless or displaced are not invisible, that they should still be counted and that they  are a somebody, not a nobody, that they do have a name. 

How did IHAVEANAME.org first start and why did you want to get involved? 

In September of 2007 I began gathering imagery to document the homeless on the streets of Phoenix Arizona. That Fall I had volunteered both time and resource at a local homeless shelter to better understand the circumstance and plight of those without a place to call home. The project took shape, when the first man I photographed wept as I asked his name, “You have no idea how long it has been since someone cared to ask my name”, he stated. 

The IHAVEANAME Project has a photography exhibition as part of it's awareness strategy. Have you struggled to find willing subjects for the photography exhibition and subsequent book of IHAVEANAME photography? 

Sadly, responsive to this country's recent 'Great Recession' our city streets have far too many folks that find themselves in need. Subject to that consideration, we have had little trouble finding conversations and those that are willing to share their troubled accounts. 

Has IHAVEANAME made a positive change in people's attitudes towards the homeless in the area you operate within? 

The I Have a Name Project has a stream of positive threads from right here in our own backyard to as far away as Alaska, Australia, to little hamlets in Canada and from many people in the U.K as well. The responses have been both intricate in detail or as concise and poignant to simply suggest a thank you for the way in which the individual now views the homeless. 

Do you have any success stories as a result of the actions of IHAVEANAME.org? 

A story that quickly comes to kind is that of a mother who reached out around Thanksgiving here in the States and wanted me to know that a conversation I shared with her heroin addicted son left him inspired enough to seek sobriety and return home. If the Project accomplishes nothing else of measured meaning, this is enough!

What are the plans for IHAVEANAME.org? Do you plan to branch out across the pond or to other states within the US? 

We are currently working with Grant Writers to secure funding that shall allow the Project to travel into different cities across our country. No plans are in place to travel beyond the boundaries of our expansive country. Those aspirations while interesting are more lofty than I am afraid reasonable.

How can readers of Project52 get involved with supporting IHAVEANAME.org? 

Readers of Project 52 might simply be kind enough the visit our Facebook page and share our content. We are not a campaign that is in the public domain to raise monies but rather consciousness.  https://www.facebook.com/THEIHAVEANAMEPROJECT

Finally, if there was anything you could say to the politicians and governments of the world, what would that be?  

I would ask that those countries like our own that spend large amounts of dollars to wage unneeded wars to reaccess  public policy and begin to take care of its' peoples that are in need! 

Thank You to Jon Linton at Ihaveaname.org 

Spotlight on... The H.O.P.E project

As March is help the homeless [people] month here at project52, today's spotlight Q&A is with Colin from The H.O.P.E Project, in Liverpool, UK

The H.O.P.E Project [Helping Other People Exist] is a small group aimed at providing subsistence for the homeless people of Liverpool, UK.  In Colin's own words, "I set the project up ten months ago, with a flask and a sandwich" Feb 2014.

Founded in May, 2013, The H.O.P.E Project are a small group of volunteers who go out into Liverpool city centre, several nights a week between 9.30pm and 11.30pm. They go out in groups of three people and follow a regular route, to distribute hot drinks and sandwiches/snacks to those who are sleeping rough.

When was the H.O.P.E project set up and what made you want to start it? 

Set the project up 10 months ago, [May 2013] set it up because I want to make a difference in the world and show love.

As the H.O.P.E project is a not-for-profit unregistered charity group, how do you raise awareness for what you do?  

I gain awareness and donation through public media

Has the H.O.P.E project made any successful changes in the area it operates in?

We are out six nights a week , each night we have three different people out, that's eighteen people making a difference from the community. All our donations come from social media groups, this means the kind people of Merseyside are making positive changes too .We give out twenty-five sandwiches , hot drinks, chocolate, crisps, hats and gloves. We must easily make a difference to 70 different people on the streets each week. Since our project started, a group in Warrington have started the Warrington hope project, it has also traveled to Barcelona as a result of the guys over there seeing our Facebook journals. 

Homelessness is a major topic of debate in the UK today, what extra steps (that are not currently in place) do you feel should be taken to reduce homelessness in the city? 

Liverpool needs a night shelter open all year round

The H.O.P.E project does not take any cash/monetary donations and instead asks for the donations of food/clothing/goods via their Facebook page. How does the H.O.P.E project use these items? 

Everything donated gets a picture taken [of it] and put on Facebook, then it gets split up and shared for all the teams who go [out] and give it to the guys on the street.

Finally, if there was anything you would like to say to the readers of Project52, what would that be? 

Our aim is to show love to someone who needs it. I want to say to the readers that they too can make a difference by buying a cup of tea and a sandwich and passing it to a homeless person. 

Thank you to Colin and all at The H.O.P.E Project, Liverpool from myself and the readers of Project52. 

To help support or donate items to the H.O.P.E Project, visit their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-HOPE-Project/549253225143903

Q&A conducted February 2014 

Spotlight on..... RSPCA Charity Shops

Spotlight on .... RSPCA Charity Shops

The focus on this Q&A session is to examine the work and role that charity shops have to play in supporting a charity network.

With thanks to: Lauren, Assistant Manager at RSPCA Chorlton Charity Shop

**the views contained within are those of the individual, and not representative of the RSPCA themselves as a registered charity**

The Royal Society for the Protection of Animals has existed since June 1824 where it was founded by a group of like-minded individuals based in London. It has since then grown into many chapters through out the UK. As the charity relies on public donations and public support to carry out its work, how long has the charity shop chain existed for and how does the charity shop chain support raising funds for the RSPCA Manchester & Salford Branch? 

The RSPCA Manchester and Salford branch is independent from the national RSPCA, and so is responsible for its own financial well being. Our four shops based in Chorlton, Didsbury, Urmston and the Northern Quarter provide a sizeable amount of income for the charity to help fund the animal rehabilitation and rehoming work the branch undertakes. The shops also help to keep our charity in the public eye, which is important because it inspires people to help us directly with cash donations.

As there are hundreds of charities based in the UK with different goals at heart through out the country, many of which use charity shops to raise funds for their own goals, this means there is competition on the high street for premium foot fall locations and for attracting attention from passers by to either donate goods or to purchase from the vast variety of wares on sale in any of the shops. What does the RSPCA Manchester & Salford Branch’s shops chain do in order to stand out from the crowd?

Our shops work hard to make sure they appeal to the general public and have the advantage of working for a highly popular cause: animals! I think the RSPCA Chorlton shop’s most important tool for standing out from the crowd is the window. We display the highest quality stock for passers by to take notice of, and try to make sure we're catering for all age groups. We even follow themes of popular holidays such as Christmas, and our personal favourite Halloween! Not only does the window give us a great opportunity to showcase our best stock and reasonable prices, but it lets our donors know that we really do make the most of the things they generously hand over to us.

What is the handling system for donations? could you talk us through what happens to an item from the point of where it is donated by a member of the public to the end point (sale). 

All of our donations are first checked for any imperfections that may make them unsalable. They are then sorted into departments and prepared for pricing. Bric-a-Brac is sorted and cleaned along with books and toys to be priced on the shop floor. Clothing is taken upstairs to be hung and steamed ready for pricing. Each item of stock has to be individually priced to ensure we maximise the amount we can raise whilst at the same time providing a fair and attractive price to the customer. We also receive money for recycling a variety of damaged items that cannot be sold.

Could you describe for our readers what a typical day at a charity shop is like? 

There is no such thing as a typical day at a charity shop! It's part of what makes the job so rewarding and exciting. You never know who might walk through the door, or what kind of donation you'll receive. A plan for the day is often made in the morning and by the afternoon it may have totally altered because someone has brought you their entire worldly possessions which need to be processed immediately or you'll fall behind. You need to be able to work fast and adapt to the constant changes around you, which makes it so much more interesting than any other type of retail work. 

During your time working with the RSPCA Manchester & Salford Branch, have there been any high points that sets working for a charity shop apart from working in other types of retail environment? 

One high point definitely springs to mind, but it started off as one of the lowest points I've had during my time with the RSPCA. I arrived at work one Monday morning to find donations piled up in the shop doorway, which isn't anything out of the ordinary. As I reached the bottom of the pile I saw a pet carrier, and my immediate retail reaction was 'I could probably get £5 for that'. Instantly my thoughts changed to 'I hope there's not an animal in there'. Lo and behold, as I picked up the pet carrier I found a very large cat staring back at me. As a shop worker I rarely find myself having difficult personal experiences with the animal side of the charity, and I was so sad to find such a lovely animal had been stuffed in a box and dumped on our doorstep. It was during a particularly busy period for our charity, and with the cattery and foster homes full we had to keep him in the office upstairs until there was room for him elsewhere. During this time we managed to transform Laurie the office cat from a timid hideaway into a confident puss who came to us for headbutts and treats. It was such a pleasure to help look after one of the animals in the charity's care, and I'm pleased to say he has now been rehomed! 

If there was anything you could say to the readers of Project52 to encourage them to make more use of the services provided by a charity shop, what would that be? 

Charity shops have come a long way in recent times and they work hard to offer a contemporary retail experience. For example, they offer a clean and comfortable shopping experience and, thanks to the generosity of the general public, offer high quality stock at affordable prices. This means that shopping for pleasure and necessity is something you can still enjoy given the current economic climate, all the while lining the food bowls of needy animals!

Finally, thank you for taking part in today's Q&A session from myself, and also thank you on behalf of the readers of Project52 for working hard to help support the raising of funds for the RSPCA to help the animals of the UK.

**the views contained within are those of the individual, and not representative of the RSPCA themselves as a registered charity**

Spotlight on.... Oxfam Charity shops

Spotlight on.... OXFAM Charity Shops

Q&A session to look at the role of the charity shop as a fundraiser in the public eye.

With Thanks to Kit, Greater Manchester area.

**the views contained within are those of the individual, and not representative of OXFAM themselves as a registered charity**

Oxfam International, is made up of 17 different organizations spread through out the world, and was founded in Oxford, England in 1942 with the goal of famine relief. It has grown since then to have operations in places such as the UK, USA, Canada, Europe, for example. One method of raising awareness for their goals and fundraising is through the use of charity shops. what made you want to work for them?

I started working there as a volunteer first as I love the music section and have a keen eye for rare records so wanted to help them make as much money as possible by researching and pricing records accordingly.

There are approximately 750 OXFAM shops in the UK, and it is apparently the largest retailer of 2nd hand books in the UK, which gives the charity chain a large high street presence. What does OXFAM do to help set itself apart from other Charity shops on the british high street?

Quality merchandise, only the best stock goes out in our shops and we try to keep the prices fair. We try to raise money for different projects regularly and we advertise to help different people in different parts of the world.

As OXFAM shops sell a mix of donated goods and fair trade items, can you talk us through the process of an item being donated to OXFAM to the end point where it is sold to a member of the public?

A customer will bring us the donation, we try to encourage them to sign up for gift aid if they haven't already. We then go through the donations and sort through what is good and we can sell and what is not. The products that we do not use get recycled where possible. The products we use get put on a hanger, steamed, priced and put out in the shop, as mentioned before we only use the best stock so anything that was old, worn, damaged or dirty do not get put out in the shop.

Have there been any high points or low points for you personally from working at an OXFAM charity shop? such as a dream - find being donated to the shop or something unexpected hiding within a donation bag?

The low points are when people donate items that are really not salable and they must know this but can't be bothered to go to the tip with it, e.g a used, dirty baking tray, cracked cups, china etc or really used, dirty clothes. People leaving products outside the shop in the rain is annoying as well as the products become unsaleable! High points are finding a great item in fantastic condition e.g designer gear unworn with original labels on sell really well and for a decent amount.

My personal favourite was finding David Bowie's album 'The man who sold the world' [in it's] original dress sleeve that was withdrawn, making it rare, we sold it online for a couple of hundred pounds. I get a real thrill when I find a rare record knowing we can make some decent money from it.

Is there anything that you would like to ask of the readers of project52 to do to help support OXFAM?

To help support oxfam please only donate stock that you would like to buy yourself to prevent waste, gift aid your donations if you are a tax payer and if you want to help and have the time please volunteer

Thank You Kit, on behalf of myself and the readers of 'Project52' for the work you do to support the goals of OXFAM UK

**the views contained within are those of the individual, and not representative of OXFAM themselves as a registered charity**

Spotlight on.... Blood Donation

I'm unable to donate blood myself due to needle phobia and a couple of other reasons, so I asked a friend to share her experience of recently giving blood. Hopefully her experience will answer any questions some of you may have about donating yourselves.

with thanks to Ms. N. F. Hetherington

"I'd got to the session early and there was already a queue outside, people kept telling me not to be nervous which I found quite silly as, although I know people who have a fear of needles, I've never understood it myself. When they started letting people in and it got to my turn the man at the desk just looked up expectantly. "Do I just give you my name?" 
    "Do you have an appointment?" He replied. The conversation then went that I'd been to a session before but that they hadn't allowed me to donate at that time and that I'd been sent a form to fill in with my donor number on it but forgotten to bring it. I was given a new form and told to fill it in and bring it back to another desk and have a large cold drink before donating. I sat down and realised I didn't know where to get a drink from and everyone was too busy to ask. I filled my form in and took it back and the woman [staff/ nurse] found me on the system, took my form off me and gave me a booklet to read before donating.        I found where the water was and read through the booklet which told me that I had to drink at least 500mls of fluid and that is they'd test my iron levels before donating (never an issue for me as even when pregnant I was always told how good my iron and B12 levels were but I was nervous all the same - hate the idea of ignorant people attributing bad levels to a plant-based diet). It wasn't long before she'd called on me and went through my form, I had to go through why I couldn't donate last time and she told me that I shouldn't have to mention it again. As I'd had a tattoo in the last 12 months I was asked the exact date and she [staff/ nurse] went to check if this was ok. Upon returning she said it was fine they'd just have to run an extra test on it.Then came the finger prick, she asked for my hand wiped my finger and pricked it and released a drop of blood into a plastic tube of blue liquid and watched it sink. I asked if that was good and she said the fact that it sunk meant I had good iron levels. I genuinely said, "Well that's good because I'm a vegan." I'm pretty sure it was verbal diarrhoea attributed to nerves. She then told me to take a seat round a table and wait to be called.     I was called up asked if I was right handed (I'm not) so was lead to one of the big plastic moulded with all the equipment on the right hand side. She reclined the seat and proceeded to search for a vein in my right arm. After a few unsuccessful attempts it was decided that my left would be better.    She [a nurse] found a vein and cleaned the spot on my arm and inserted the needle and it was all hooked up to what I can only describe as a reverse infusion pump. I was given a small tube to "twiddle" and she said clenching and unclenching my bum constantly would help my blood flow.   She checked I was ok and left me to it. I sat there for around ten minutes and the machine started beeping notifying the staff that I was 'done'. The same woman who hooked me up was available so she came to unattach everything and asked again if I was ok I reported numbness in my fingers and was assured that that was normal. She sat my seat up and told me to sit for a couple of minutes, sorted everything out and directed me to where I should have biscuits and a drink. Offered a choice of drinks I opted water and got my own Jammie Dodgers out of my bag, she told me that I hadn't had to bring my own and I said that I would rather have done so as I don't eat dairy etc. She said they had other options but I didn't read any packets so I don't know what they had. After a brief chat with the friend I'd come with we left to go home." 

For more information, please visit: http://www.blood.co.uk/index.aspx