Cheltenham Animal Shelter have been proud to work alongside the No Child Left Behind initiative for some time.
As well as being a long-standing Charity who has been rescuing dogs, cats, rabbits and rodents for nearly 100 years, we also value the importance of ensuring good pet education is available for our community through various ways. Much of our education work focusses on working with the young people in our community, our future pet owners. We run school holiday activity days, therapeutic animal assisted services and family events, plus so much more.
For us, we have always felt it is important for all to have accessible pet support, education and advice with no financial barriers. We have been providing free of charge opportunities for young people in Cheltenham to attend our courses and activities for over 2 years, with the support of NCLB.
Many of the young people who attend our activities will gain valuable social opportunities, positive self-esteem boosts and ultimately, improved knowledge on pets and staying safe around animals.
We have found that these sessions are particularly beneficial for those children with additional needs or for those who struggle with social interaction. Our projects provide an opportunity for our most vulnerable children to build a connection with a vulnerable rescue pet, to whom they can relate and empathise with, often helping them to develop their social skills, as well as having a number of therapeutic benefits.
We follow a compassionate and empathic working approach and had no hesitation to sign up to the NCLB community agreement. Without community support and presence, our Charity may not exist or have thrived, and we recognise the importance of giving back to the community too. In early 2023, we added a pet food bank service where we supply free surplus pet food and items for those who may be having financial difficulties. The pet bank can be accessed 7 days a week, 8.30am – 6pm (4pm weekends) and if items are low, we welcome people to ask in reception if they are in need- we will happily give non-judgemental help where we can.
We hope to continue joining forces with NCLB and the many other wonderful organisations who are all working towards making our community a safe and happy one for all!
