Cheltenham Animal Shelter plays a vital role in the local community of Gloucestershire, offering significant social value and impact. As a nonprofit organisation dedicated to the welfare of animals, it serves several essential functions that positively contribute to the community.

Animal Welfare: The primary focus of Cheltenham Animal Shelter is the rescue, care, and rehoming of abandoned, unwanted, and mistreated animals. By providing a safe haven for these animals, the shelter addresses issues of animal neglect and cruelty in the region, promoting compassion and responsible pet ownership.

Community Engagement: The shelter actively engages with the local community through various programs and initiatives. This includes educational outreach in schools, community events, and volunteer opportunities.

One of our schemes is reading to our animals which was set up to help local primary school children with low reading confidence, giving them the opportunity to improve by partnering up with a reading-assistance rescue pet. During these sessions, children read out loud to one of our rescue animals instead of their teachers or parents, which gives them the freedom to relax and enjoy the experience without the pressures of expectation.

Another of our projects is our award-winning HALT program. This offers opportunities to local school children struggling with confidence, wellbeing, and behaviour in mainstream education.  Participating in the program offers a numerous benefit to the referred student:

Emotional Support: Animals provide unconditional love and companionship, offering comfort and solace to children who may feel isolated or misunderstood.

Stress Reduction: Spending time with animals has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety levels, helping children cope better with daily stressors.

Improved Social Skills: Interacting with animals in group settings fosters social interaction among children, helping them develop communication skills and build relationships with their peers.

Sense of Responsibility: Caring for animals installs a sense of responsibility and empathy in children, teaching them the importance of caring for another living being.

Boost in Self-Esteem: Achieving success in caring for animals boosts children’s self-esteem, leading to increased confidence in other areas of their lives.

Increased Focus and Engagement: Incorporating animals into a classroom environment enhances focus and attention, motivating children to participate more actively in learning.

In addition is our pet food bank that serves as a vital resource within the community, addressing the often-overlooked need for pet nutrition assistance. Many families face financial hardships that make it difficult to afford food for their beloved pets, which can lead to heartbreaking decisions such as surrendering them to shelters. By providing free pet food bank ensures that families facing economic challenges can continue to care for their furry companions without sacrificing their well-being. This not only helps to keep pets in loving homes but also relieves the burden on overcrowded animal shelters.

Social Inclusion: The shelter provides a welcoming environment for individuals from diverse backgrounds to volunteer, fostering a sense of belonging and social inclusion. Volunteers contribute their time and skills towards the care of animals, forming bonds with fellow volunteers and staff members. This not only benefits the animals but also enhances the well-being and social connectedness of individuals involved.

We regularly visit local care homes across the county which provide invaluable benefits to the residents’ physical, emotional, and mental well-being. For many elderly individuals in care homes, loneliness and feelings of isolation can be significant challenges. These visits can spark memories and stimulate conversations, helping residents reminisce about beloved pets or past experiences. The presence of animals also encourages physical activity, as residents may engage in activities such as petting, grooming, or playing with them.

Overall, Cheltenham Animal Shelter plays a crucial role in promoting animal welfare, community engagement, social inclusion, economic prosperity, and public health and safety in Gloucestershire. Its presence enriches the lives of both humans and animals, embodying the values of compassion, responsibility, and respect for all living beings.

Payroll Giving:

Payroll Giving (sometimes known as Give as You Earn) is an easy and tax-efficient way of making regular donations to your favourite charity straight from your pay.

How does it work?

Once you have set up a Payroll Giving scheme, employees will be able to sign up and start donating. Each payday, their donation will be taken directly out of their gross salary by the payroll department.

The donation will be taken after National Insurance is deducted, but before tax. This means that the employees’ donation will cost them up to 45% less through the tax break.

Donations are then sent from your organisation to a Payroll Giving Agency (PGA) who will handle the transfer of the funds to the chosen charity.

 The impact of your Payroll Giving donations 

This could help pay for a dog or cat’s flea and worm treatment.

This could help pay for a course of anti-biotics for a rabbit suffering with a respiratory infection commonly caused by them living in poor conditions.

This could help us pay for a days care for one of our animals in need including the warm comfortable pen, training and rehabilitation and nutritious food.

Fundraising

Challenge events:

One of the biggest impacts your organisation can have on our charity is supporting us financially and what better way to raise funds as an individual or as a team then taking in a challenge event.

Why not push your boundaries and take your work relationships to the next level and see what you can do as a group on a corporate charity challenge?

There is a huge range of challenges that are available, whether you want to just try something new or push your team to the extremes. No matter what challenge you and your team want to take on, we have the guide and experts to help you.

Completing a charity challenge will not only improve your employees as a team and individuals but also gives you the opportunity to support Cheltenham Animal Shelter and aiding towards your Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Workplace fundraising:

Fundraising in the workplace is the perfect way to bring your team together and make a difference to helping animals in need.

We can support you all the way, from start to finish, to ensure you get everything you want out of your fundraiser.

Start by setting up a fundraising page:

Why set up a fundraising platform? Enthuse offers businesses a user-friendly, secure platform with integrated features for streamlined fundraising. With transparent reporting, businesses can track donations and impact in real-time. 

Instructions for setting up a page with Enthuse.

Cheltenham Animal Shelter extends a welcoming invitation to businesses interested in participating in our Helping Hand Days. These volunteer opportunities provide a chance for teams to support our vital work without any charge. However, we kindly request that attending groups consider fundraising or donating prior to their visit. As an organisation with annual running costs exceeding £1 million and facing constraints in both staff and funds, your contribution will be immensely valued and put to immediate use in caring for our animals. Your generosity ensures we can continue providing essential care and support to the animals in our Shelter.

We can welcome a maximum of 6 team members at any one time between the times of 9am and finishes around 2pm.

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer hands-on time with our animals as we have a great team of staff and trained regular volunteers to help with animal care duties. Predominantly the day will involve tasks such as general site maintenance including gardening, painting, organising donations, general site cleaning and depending on the time of year, assisting with event set up and clear up. We will let you know closer to the time what you and your team will be doing.

Shared Skills:

As a small team dedicated to the welfare of animals, Cheltenham Animal Shelter relies heavily on the support of the community and businesses to fulfil its mission. Collaborating with businesses that offer their expertise can have a profound impact on our operations. With limited resources and manpower, the specialised skills and services provided by businesses can significantly enhance our capabilities and effectiveness. By partnering with businesses willing to offer their marketing, design, IT, legal, or construction expertise, we can amplify our reach, improve our services, and ultimately, provide better care for the animals under our guardianship. Each contribution, whether it’s in the form of pro bono services or strategic advice, directly contributes to our ability to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome animals in need. Together, as a cohesive community of businesses and individuals, we can make a tangible difference in the lives of countless animals and strengthen the bond between our shelter and the broader community.

Shelter tour:

Our Shelter tours are designed to share what we do and, of course, let you see some of our special pets too! See more on how your business can have an impact on us with a private behind the scenes visit. We can accept teams of up to 10 people. The tour can last up to an hour.