Established 1988
Next year we will celebrate 35 years since the charity started.
This newsletter is a reflection on the last 12 months, heading into our 35th anniversary.
Thank you, as always for your continued support.
All the team at Thornberry Animal Sanctuary
WELCOME FROM THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES – JO BRUNT
Dear Supporters, It has been another challenging year, but we have overcome a range of obstacles with the superb help and support from all of you whose aim is to change the fortunes of animals in need. One such obstacle has been drainage! Our numerical success in rescuing and re-homing increasing numbers of animals is highly pleasing but does put pressure on our infrastructure, as has the lovely and welcoming new cafe (and toilets), whose first birthday was in June of this year. Unexciting but absolutely essential remedial works to both our electrical and drainage systems have taken their toll on our finances – not to mention our stress levels! However, we have been helped enormously to avert a drainage disaster by the generous support in practical action of a number of extremely supportive people, above all by Adrian Green of MWH Treatments (a specialist water treatment company contracting for Severn Trent amongst others). His project managers, Lee Pooley and Andrew Blake promptly organised the installation of an efficient sewage treatment tank. We cannot thank them enough for coming to our rescue, done above all as a massive act of charity. Also helpful were David Bould of Serious Waste Management, who gave us invaluable advice in the first instance, and Andy, of Trevor Potts Waste Management, who has come on several occasions at the drop of a phone call, even on a Saturday evening, to empty our drainage systems in emergency. What wonderful supporters our animals have!
Pictured: Thornberry staff with the contractors who helped us to avert a drainage disaster.
In an ever more complex digital world, developments to our computing and financial technology have been critical in making us more efficient and we have invested in systems and training that will reap benefits. None of this may seem at first glance directly relevant to the welfare of any one animal, but attention to and action on our infrastructure behind the scenes, as it were, are crucial to the current and future welfare of all animals who need our help. Our five trustees have overseen developments more visibly linked to animal welfare, too, with our Vet Room thriving and looking to expand its range of procedures, and with action on the much-needed cattery expansion to start before long. Other plans are in the pipeline, such as the planning application recently made for a dedicated, large dog-training and exercise area. Equally importantly, we have a strong team of staff, firmly established across a range of roles, particularly of course within our animal care teams on both sites, as well as an expanding team of volunteers to add to our already stalwart band of fantastic volunteers. They deserve a public vote of thanks. We look forward to a New Year with you, our supporters, continuing your vital role which underpins all the achievements of T.A.S. in our work to make the world a better place for animals. It is a cliché, but we do not mind using one when it is so very, very true, that we could not do this vital welfare work without you. We wish you the very best for 2023.
Brunt, Chair of the Board of Trustees
Pictured: Our onsite vet room that is helping the animals at Thornberry.
Joanne
HELLO FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER – HELEN CONNELLY
Dear Supporters,
Well, what a year 2022 has been. I feel like we are just coming to the end of a rollercoaster ride. Firstly, I would like to say thank you to all our wonderful supporters, for continuing support Thornberry through what I know has been and continues to be a financially challenging year. Your unwavering support does not go unnoticed and is vital to the success of the charity. I would also like to thank all our volunteers, who kindly and selflessly give their time, so that the animals in our care can have the best opportunity at a better a life. Whether that’s working with the animals directly, helping around the site, helping at events, in retail or through any other way. Our supporters and our volunteers are the backbone of Thornberry and without you, the charity would not be able to do the work we do. So, on behalf of every animal who has had a better life because of Thornberry – thank you. I would also like to thank our team of staff and trustees who always go above and beyond to make sure that the animals that come into Thornberry receive the best possible care that we can give them.
2022 has been the year where a perfect storm of disastrous variables has had a huge impact on animal rescues up and down the country. During the pandemic there was a huge demand for pets and in particular dogs. Breeders over-bred to meet the demand and prices went through the roof. However, following on from this and as people returned to life and work, there is now an abundance of animals that people do not want or do not have the time or patience for. Sadly, their once loved pet does not meet their standard of life anymore. Add to this, the cost-of-living crisis that has really taken the pinch this year. Not only have we seen financial donations and animal food donations drop, but we are also seeing more animals coming in with medical problems due to their costs Many relinquished as owners just can’t afford their medical bills. So, in short, we are seeing more animals, more animals with medical problems and at the same time receiving less donations. One thing that everybody always says though, is that they would end up taking an animal home if they worked at the sanctuary. Well, this year was my year for that. It had to happen at some point and in January I fell under the spell of Millie! This tiny little Shih-tzu was unrecognisable when
she first came into the Sanctuary. Her fur was all matted, she was underweight, had very little muscle tone and a hernia that needed medical attention. We immediately whisked her off to the wonderful team at Wagz in Worksop, where they shaved off all of her matts and made her much more comfortable. When she returned to Thornberry, I took one look at her, and my heart melted. It was deep winter, and I couldn’t bring myself to leave her in a kennel, despite them being heated overnight. Initially, the idea was to just foster her until she had been neutered and had her hernia repaired. It was a failed foster though, as not only did I become fully invested in little Millie, but my Jack Russell Poppy took to her straight away and they quickly became inseparable. I am just one of the eight members of staff that have gone on to adopt a Thornberry Animal this year.
Pictured: Helen with Millie
Looking back on 2022 I am filled with mixed emotions; we have lost some of our dearest friends both human and animals – and it has been difficult. We have seen some very poorly pets come to Thornberry this year, neglected and suffering. While we have mended their wounds and their warmed their hearts, sadly some have crossed the Rainbow Bridge along the way. Thornberry really is many animals’ last hope. Another beautiful girl who has had huge impact on my life this year is Mavis. Almost three years ago I found Mavis in the stray dog kennels. She again was all matted, she looked forlorn and lost. After she had been to the groomers, received a dental and had all of her medical needs taken care of, we adopted her out to an elderly gentleman who was also a bit lost himself. A condition of the adoption was that we regular saw Mavis back at the Sanctuary for health checks and she quickly became well known to staff, volunteers, and visitors.
Pictured: Millie and Poppy cuddled up at home.
Earlier this year Mavis started with renal failure and needed to toilet more frequently. She was getting to be too much at night-time, with her elderly owner having to get up in the night with her several times. So, it was agreed that she would come and live with me where I would pick up the night shift and then she’d come to the Sanctuary with me in the daytime, so that her owner could see her and walk her every day. To everyone’s surprise she was extremely perky and enjoyed her strolls, dinner, and cuddles. However, in November she developed an infection that her immune system just could not fight. The kindest thing to do is often the hardest and although my heart hurts I know that Thornberry gave Mavis the lifeline she deserved, and she passed knowing she was loved. If you ever find yourself in a position to offer an old animal a few good years, months or even weeks please do not hesitate. No animal deserves to end their days in a rescue.
Pictured: The beautiful Mavis who has now sadly crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
In terms of infrastructure, we have seen some really positive onsite developments this year. The car park is much improved and the site a lot safer now that we have moved the entrance. Our Kennels have been fully retiled and are now fitted with sliding hatch doors. We have invested in some new radiators in our shop which our retail volunteers have really benefited from. Last year we raised funds to equip a vet room on site and for the first quarter of 2022 this was being used by our community vet Katie one day a week. Here she would operate on our animals and perform general health checks and vaccinations. It soon became apparent as the need for our services increased and pandemic restrictions fully lifted that one day a week just wasn’t enough. After some careful consideration and some sleepless nights, we took the leap of faith to advertise for a permanent vet and vet nurse. The improvements in animal welfare are immeasurable and we have really benefited from having the additional support of the vet team allowing us to manage the medication and health of animals that require ongoing support. Plans are in place to expand our facilities and in 2023 we want to fundraise for an X-Ray suite. As ever we can’t thank our supporters enough, you make the valuable work we do possible.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Pictured: Our new car park, entrance, and lights in the snow.
Love Is Just a Hop, Skip and an Animal Rescue away…”
“True
Pictured: Some of the dogs that have called Thornberry their home this year – Raggs (Top Left), Faith (Top Right), Ivy (Bottom Left), and Arlo (Bottom Right)
Pictured: Staff from DHL Manton Wood present a cheque to Helen and James (Animal Carer - Kennels).
HELLO FROM THE VET TEAM
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce Thornberry Animal Sanctuary’s very own, permanent, on-site vet team! My name is Beth, and I am a Registered Veterinary Nurse. I qualified from The College of Animal Welfare in 2017 and have worked in first opinion, small animal practices ever since. I have always loved my work in the veterinary field and started working for Thornberry in May this year. It has provided an amazing opportunity to help animals that desperately need veterinary care. Working alongside me, is our amazing vet, Ana. Ana achieved her degree in Veterinary Science from the University of Cordoba (Spain) in 2008. She completed a postgraduate study in soft tissue surgery in 2010, and has worked for many small animal veterinary practices, including emergency and critical care, specialist referral, charities in Spain, busy hospitals and first opinion practice. Ana came to Thornberry in April this year and is so dedicated to all the animals here at the sanctuary. Ana is experiencing the true meaning of her profession, by using the best of her knowledge and experience to care for all the sanctuary’s animals. As a charity, funds are limited, but this does not stop us from doing our best with what we have. We remember all our furry patients with fondness and we’d like to give you some examples of the type of work we do here on the next page.
Pictured: Margo suffering from her medical condition.
Sweet Caroline (pictured) is a lovely tabby cat who arrived at Thornberry as an emergency after a road traffic accident. We carried out an immediate assessment and discovered she had a fractured femur; she was also very thin and dehydrated from living on the streets for so long. However, it soon became clear that Caroline was a fighter, and she went through a long period of stabilisation to ensure she was well enough to undergo surgery to amputate the fractured leg. After Caroline had put on weight and recovered from dehydration, we removed her hind leg. Being the fighter she is, she recovered amazingly well and now has a very contented life with her adopters. A far cry from the life she lived before she came to Thornberry. Another animal who desperately needed our care was Margo (pictured on the previous page), a young Rottweiler cross with a severe case of upper and lower bilateral entropion. This is a painful condition where the eyelashes grow inwards and irritate the surface of the eye. It impacted her ability to see, which made her very nervous of her surroundings. Margo underwent a long and tricky surgery to have this condition corrected. She made an amazing recovery, and it was wonderful to see her eyes opened fully to the world around her. She became a confident, happy, and friendly dog and is much loved by her new family. In the near future, we are hoping to extend the veterinary services we can provide at Thornberry so that we can do even more to treat these animals who are so deserving of our love and care.
Beth Garwood, Thornberry’s Veterinary Nurse
HELLO FROM THE KENNELS
A big hello from the Kennel Team! This year we have seen a significant number of dogs coming into our care, 170+ to be exact. Our waiting lists are also packed with animals that need rescuing and there has been no let-up in this. There is often the cliché that if you work in animal care, you will end up taking an animal home with you. This year has been no different, with 6 gorgeous dogs being adopted by our sanctuary staff - usually after experiencing furry love at first sight. Both myself and our General Manager Helen have also opened our homes to offer palliative care to two beautiful seniors Sammy and Mavis. Sadly, both of these beautiful dogs have now passed over the Rainbow Bridge – but not before receiving the love, care and warmth that they deserved in their final days. Our Supporters will also remember Ivy (pictured earlier in this newsletter), the 3legged Patterdale whose life was saved by local Veterinary Practice, Springfield Vets. Ivy was severely injured in a Road Traffic Accident, in which she was found and taken to Springfield for treatment by a member of the public. When contacted, the registered owners had already been out to buy a puppy and did not want to take responsibility of Ivy or her treatment and insisted she be euthanised. We were contacted by Springfield to help, and shortly after, the beautiful 3-legged Ivy arrived. Ivy struggled with ‘phantom limb’ syndrome –which led to her spinning excessively and snapping at handlers that tried to intercept her during a ‘frenzy’. We all became extremely concerned about her welfare, as an increase in stress levels made her behaviour worse and difficult to manage.
Pictured: Noah & Brandy – two Thornberry dogs that now live with Zoe and have become the best of friends.
Fortunately, a one in a million-home applied for Ivy, and she has firmly put her past life behind her. She now enjoys wonderful woodland walks, has made a huge improvement with her dog interactions and she even has her own Facebook page. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our fantastic dog walking and kennel volunteers. Some of the people I would like to thank are Steve, Jo, Anita, Wayne, AnaBelle, Zoe & Caitlin, Ash, Glynn, Jean & Malcom, Tony & Sue, Pat & Tracey, Maddie, Penny, Mary & Bob, Amelia, and James. All offering their time regularly, with many others supporting whenever they can. 2022 has presented many challenges, but as I sit and reflect on all the positives of the year we have so much to celebrate. Our Kennel Lead Keeley is still on maternity leave after having a beautiful baby girl and we are bursting with happiness for her as we welcome the youngest member of the Thornberry family.
We have also seen more and more challenging dogs enter our care, but after a huge amount of hard work we now have the least number of long-term dogs since I started in February 2021. As we enter 2023 our staff prepare themselves for the reality that we will spend our Christmas with every kennel full at Thornberry. We hope that the New Year will bring a new home for each one of them and until then we will do everything, we can to give them the best care possible. I am so proud of our wonderful Kennel Team, and as always, we are so grateful to our adopters for providing our dogs with loving forever homes.
Scicluna, Kennel Manager
Pictured: Kennel Lead Keeley with the newest member of the Thornberry family Sienna.
Zoe
HELLO FROM THE CATTERY
Hello! We are the new Cattery & Small Animal Team! My name is Courtney, and I am the new Cattery Manager. I have 7 years of veterinary experience working in practice as a Registered Veterinary Nurse and I am super excited to have joined Thornberry this year. My veterinary experience helps me in my position at Thornberry as it means along with managing the cattery, I can also help to treat our animals, provide surgeries on-site with the rest of the veterinary team and monitor medical cases and post-operative patients throughout the sanctuary. I started at Thornberry in August this year, joining mid-summer or should I say mid kitten season! Straight away it became clear that running the cattery and small animals needed a strong team in place. Therefore, we started a recruitment process, and we now have a new team that includes Beth (previous cattery experience), Danielle (previous cattery experience) & Isabelle (completing her animal management course at the College of Animal Welfare). The cattery now has a well-rounded level of experience to manage the forever growing list of animals waiting to come in, to process adoptions and help every cat to find their furever home. Having a strong team helps us to vet (no pun intended) and find the right families and homes for our furry residents more efficiently, which then allows us to bring more cats in that require our help and attention. It also means we have a strong team to support each other in the Sanctuary on the inevitably tough days that sanctuary life throws at us.
Pictured: Isabelle (left) and Beth (right) with two Thornberry cats.
One of these sad days, was just recently when we lost a lovely mother to five kittens. The lovely Justeen had been well throughout her pregnancy but then presented with odd behaviours. We discovered clinical signs relative to FIP and she became very unwell with a very poor prognosis. Sadly, not long after this, Justeen crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. This was a very difficult time for the team as they had come to love Justeen. We then had a very difficult task of rehoming five very lovely, fluffy, bouncy kittens. This was a massive challenge as they required very specific homes (indoor only, with no other cats) to reduce the risk of spreading FIP to the feline community. There is no definitive diagnosis of FIP in Justeen’s litter, so we have had to assume they have had contact with it, therefore it has taken longer to rehome them. However, with the power of social media and the support from our volunteers and followers, we have managed to successfully rehome four out of the five furry babies! With one more left. I’m positive we will find little Crash a home before the end of the year! *Note: As this goes to print, Crash is being rehomed. Yay! I would like to say a special thank you to all our cattery volunteers, including Ann, Jane, Oliver, Kian, Samantha, Angela, Mia, Pat, and Olivia. This year has seen lots of changes in the cattery, and we look forward to starting the new year as a new team and helping as many cats as possible. With grant funding secured for a cattery extension, we hope that this will be delivered in 2023.
Pictured: Cattery Manager Courtney with a Thornberry kitten (left) and Justeen (right.)
Courtney Berry, Cattery & Small Animals Manager
HELLO FROM THE SMALL ANIMAL BARN
Hello from the Small Animal team! The Small Animal team is made up of the staff members previously mentioned and an extremely dedicated group of volunteers and supporters including Sammy, Colin, George, the two Janes, Sadie, Charlie, Janet, Amanda, and many others. As Cattery & Small Animal Manager I also oversee the small animals and I have a particular interest in Guinea Pigs. In our Small Animal Department, we never know what might come into the sanctuary on a daily basis. This year we have had snakes, terrapins, bearded dragons, stray rats, one-eyed chinchillas, insects, birds and more. While we do not routinely work with these animals, we will do what we can to help or pass them over to a specialist. Our core focus of this department is usually on rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and as such. On average, we rehome 75 rabbits a year here at Thornberry (which is a lot) and something that might shock you, is to realise just how long our rabbit waiting list is. This is due to several reasons. Generally, people do not realise the level of commitment a rabbit needs. They are often bought for children as a first pet, without the realisation of how much care and cleaning they require. People often get them in the spring and summer and then by the winter, like now, they realise they do not want a rabbit anymore. They can also be very expensive if they need veterinary care, and this underlying cost can become a big issue. That said, we always try to help as many animals as possible, where we have space, without compromising on animal welfare. As a team here at Thornberry our aim is to exceed the number adoptions for 2023!
Pictured: A small Thornberry Bunny.
Pictured: Thornberry kittens share a cuddle.
Pictured: Our resident puss Tiger enjoying a little cat nap.
HELLO FROM OUR FARM & EQUINE CENTRE
This year has been a year of ups and downs. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to two of our old residents Amber and Daisy. These ladies were both in their early 30’s and had very little teeth. It can often be surprising to people who don’t know about horses, just how old they can live until, with an average of 25-30 years. These two elderly ladies would be in the equivalent of their 90’s in human years. To keep them from getting hungry, they were on 3 big sloppy feeds a day. However, we knew even if we upped it up to 5 feeds a day that they would have struggled through the winter as they couldn’t chew the hay. The difficult and emotional decision was made by the whole Equine team that it was time to say goodbye. Thornberry always takes back any animals that have been adopted from us, so it is a lifetime commitment we give to these animals which can span a generation of people. In animal rescue though, there may be lows but there are always highs too. We are really pleased to say that Autumn has finally got her new home after her new owner spent 6 weeks coming and bonding with her. She was very wary of new people, and it took a lot of time to gain her trust. She came from a large rescue in which we took in 7 mares, 4 with foal at foot, 1 in foal again and 2 in foal of which she was one. She had a healthy foal named April, who was successfully rehomed, but Autumn remained behind. Thankfully after nearly 3 years of being with us, Autumn now has a new home to call her own.
Pictured: Autumn and April (left) and Amber (right)
Pictured: Daisy
We have also just taken in a group of baby foals, who were abandoned, neglected and in a sorry state. They have since been wormed, vaccinated and are on a healthy diet and on the road to recovery. Anyone wishing to contribute to their feed or any of our other animals, we would be very grateful. It could be in terms of a financial donation or if you would like to purchase a bag of feed, our foals are on Mare and Foal mix (Dodson and Horrel) and Sure Grow, our old residents are on Veteran Vitality (Allen and Paige) and grass nuts and the rest of the gang are on pony nuts and Hifi Light. In addition to the welfare of our animals, we are also really pleased to say that we have received a grant for a tractor and trailer this year. This is fantastic news for us and means we can manoeuvre bales of hay to the fields easily and do our own harrowing and field maintenance. We have also taken on a new Assistant Manager this year, Alyson Bailey. Alyson has been an amazing addition to the farm and Equine Centre and has fitted in to the team perfectly. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support and kind donations which enables us to carry on doing the work we do. We look forward to the challenges and successes that 2023 will bring.
Julie Burrows, Equine & Farm Manager
HOW CAN YOU HELP THORNBERRY?
With Thornberry seeing a significant increase in unwanted or homeless animals, your help as never been more important. We really do rely on the support and dedication from our donors as unlike some charities, animal charities receive no government funding. Thornberry has grown to become the charity it is today because of you and people like you. Each of us can make a difference but put together we can do so much more.
If you would like to help Thornberry and animals in need then you can:
Make a donation by cheque payable to: Thornberry Animal Sanctuary and sending it to: Thornberry Animal Sanctuary, The Stables, Todwick Road, North Anston, Sheffield, S25 3SE
Make a donation through online banking to: Thornberry Animal Sanctuary, Account: 31691686, Sort: 40-39-07
Make a donation by PayPal to: fundraising@thornberryanimalsanctuary.org
Make an online donation at: www.thornberryanimalsanctuary.org
Drop off a cheque or cash donation at: Thornberry Animal Sanctuary
Our animals are also always in need of certain items and there are several different ways you can get these to us if you wish to donate them:
You can order them on Amazon or other online retailers and have them delivered directly to us, or you could post the items yourself.
You can also call in to our Todwick Road site, Wednesday-Sunday, 11am3pm, and drop your donated items off in our main reception. If you would any more information, then please contact us at via 01909 564 399 or by emailing fundraising@thornberryanimalsanctuary.org. Thank you.
HELLO FROM THE RETAIL SHOPS
Here at Thornberry, we have several onsite shops selling a range of different goods. We have our Top Barn which is packed with bargains and high street names including women’s, men’s and children’s clothing. We also have a Bric-aBrac shop, bookshop, seasonal and kids shop. It is not uncommon for visitors to find a hidden gem or much-loved treasure in our shops. Over the last year, our retail section has undergone many changes. All these changes have been put in place to both increase income generated from the direct sale of donated goods but also to create a much more inviting shopping experience for the supporters of the charity. Improvements have included a better shop floor layout to ensure the right mix and amount of stock is on the shop floor and a competitive pricing structure. We also have a strict sorting process in place to ensure only the best quality goes out while also ensuring the right mix of brand names and stock types are always available. We have also brought on board Katie who helps with selling the ever-increasing media stock we receive and a valuable volunteer in Sue, who is helping to sell some of our donated stock on eBay and other sales sites. I am proud to say that we have an extremely diverse volunteer team with different needs, and we work closely with all volunteers to ensure they work in an area of retail that is best suited to their skillset and abilities. We are now concentrating on putting a structure in place in our processing barn and will be doing a volunteer recruitment drive for people to be part of this team. So, if you would like to help then we would love to hear from you. We also are developing a team to increase Gift Aid on donated items to ensure we capture as many donors as possible. If people who donate items sign up for Gift Aid (which is free to do) when onsite at the sanctuary, it means that we can claim an extra 25% on every sale back from the government. This can be a significant amount of income for Thornberry moving forward and we now have the structure in place to be able to do this. A special thanks goes out to all our dedicated volunteers who turn up no matter the weather – and give their time and effort to help Thornberry flourish. It’s definitely an exciting time to be part of the Thornberry retail team.
Julia Thompson, Retail Manager
HELLO FROM FUNDRAISING
This year has once again proven to be a challenging year for all animal rescue charities including Thornberry. One thing I have noticed this year is how the costof-living crisis is impacting on people’s donations, both financially and in terms of animal food and supplies. Since starting at Thornberry in 2019, I have always noticed how generous Thornberry’s supporters are. While that still stands true, donations in comparison to last year have decreased. This is in no way a surprise as we all shop at the same shops, use the same petrol stations, and pay the same bills – so we all appreciate how much costs have increased across the board. Things are getting expensive out there. At the same time, we are seeing record numbers of animals waiting to come into rescue. As detailed in this newsletter and on the national and local news – there are many reasons for this. Additionally, these animals often require veterinary treatment and medication which is not cheap. Therefore, our donations have decreased whilst our costs have increased. This is why your donation, no matter how big or small, really does make a difference. This year I have been extremely proud of how all the team – old and new - has pulled together to deliver a number of fundraising events.
Pictured: Staff and supporters take on Tough Mudder (left) and a supporter and her dog win 1st place in one of this year’s dog shows.
This includes an Easter Fair, Summer Fair at our Farm, Halloween Fair, Christmas Fair, Jubilee Dog Show, Dog Show at Osberton Horse Trials and our flagship event Pooches in the Park. All these events take up a lot of time and hard work and would not be possible without the support of all of the animal care teams, retail team, volunteers and managers – so well done to everyone. Our Pooches in the Park event was the most well attended dog show we have held to date and raised over £4,500. All combined, our events have helped to raise over £15,000 this year. However, along with the money these events are important to position Thornberry within the thoughts and familiarity of the community for the now and years to come. Those children who had their photo with Santa at our Christmas Fair will look back on those images and remember they had them taken at Thornberry. Likewise, those who came to one of our fairs or took part in a Thornberry dog show. It’s always lovely to hear stories from people coming to Thornberry with their children, who tell tales about when they themselves visited as a child. Thornberry will be 35 years old next year and has crossed many different generations. We are a hub within the community and long may that last for another 35 years and more. I wish the sanctuary was not needed but sadly it is and will be for years to come.
This year we have also held a number of challenge events including a Skydive and Tough Mudder for the second year in a row. These both helped to raised much needed funds for the sanctuary so thank you to everybody who took part. We have also been extremely grateful to receive several grants once again. These include grants for a new cattery extension and a vet room extension which we hope to deliver in 2023. These will be a fantastic addition to the sanctuary and will mean we can help even more animals.
Once again local businesses, individuals, families, and friends have all shown their continued support for Thornberry through fundraising events, donations, offering their time, help and more. Thornberry really would not be the charity it is without you, our supporters, so thank you all for everything you do. Thornberry is your charity and exists because of the kindness and compassion of people like you.
Ged Jenkins-Omar, Fundraising Manager
INTRODUCING THE NEW VOLUNTEER MANAGER – GEMMA ROBINSON
Introducing the new Volunteer Manager & Events Co-ordinator, Gemma Robinson. Gemma started with Thornberry in October and her role is to manage the volunteers, the volunteer process, educational and work placements, and corporate volunteering. She is also tasked with helping to coordinate our events throughout the year. Thornberry is able to survive and thrive thanks to the backbone of the charity, which along with its supporters is its army of volunteers. This is as true when the charity first started in 1988, as it is today. Thanks to our new website and CRM, volunteers are now able to apply easily. This is something Gemma found out when she first started and had a backlog of applications to process. Although overwhelming at the time, Gemma was extremely pleased to see how many people wanted to help the charity. Gemma is now getting settled into her role and had these words to say,
“We are not only grateful to the new recruits whose applications we are processing but also to our existing volunteers, some of whom have supported the sanctuary since day one. Thank you for everyone's hard work and dedication. Since the pandemic, animal charities have never needed their volunteers so much – as the increase in number of animals needing shelter places additional stress onto the existing infrastructure of the rescue world.
Pictured: Gemma with Mavis the dog.
Reasons for this are well documented but include over-breeding to meet the demand for supply at the time. Our volunteers have been key in helping to assist our staff in coping with the now increased demand for sanctuary space for homeless animals. Thornberry welcomes everyone in the volunteering world and we are extremely open and inclusive. Volunteering can take form in different ways but includes educational placements from colleges and universities, individual and corporate volunteering, people on probation and Job Centre work placements. We are also proud of being able to offer a range of support service referrals that benefit individuals with specialist education needs and autism. This helps to find roles that benefits the individuals as well as helping to meet the needs of the charity.
We offer a wide variety of tasks at both the sanctuary and our farm, from administration, cleaning and mucking out the animal areas, right through to processing donations for our charity shops, animal enrichment, dog walking, administration, fundraising, events and more ” If you, someone you know, your business or employer would like to volunteer then please do get in contact. If you feel that your help could benefit Thornberry, we would love to hear from you. Please get in touch by emailing Gemma at: volunteers@thornberryanimalsanctuary.org
We are excited to develop existing and new opportunities for volunteers who do an amazing job and are at the heart of Thornberry.
Pictured: Corporate Volunteers from NatWest lend a helping hand.
THORNBERRY CAFÉ
At Thornberry we are extremely fortunate to have a wonderful café serving hot and cold food from Tuesday through to Sunday. The café has been operating successfully for over a year now and provides a wonderful space to enjoy a meal with friends or family. At the same time, it also helps to raise much needed funds for the charity. Congratulations goes to one of the café Chef’s Ruth who gave birth to a beautiful baby boy called Rivers this year. 2022 has also seen the café host several events including Christmas Cake Decorating, Wreath Making, a Mad Hatters Tea Party, Dog First Aid, Cocktail Making, Dog Life Drawing a Taste of Morocco night and more. The café has also provided food and drink at the sanctuary events throughout the year including serving Turkey with the Trimmings and mulled wine at the Christmas Fair. We also had the pleasure of running a special Jubilee project this year, which saw our café host workshops for local groups and charities. This saw people coming to the sanctuary café and learning new skills such as pizza and pesto making. This included providing respite for parents whose children are supported for by Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice.
Pictured: Sheffield mum Michelle, whose daughter Olivia is supported by the North Anston based children’s hospice
THORNBERRY CAFÉ MENU
Please note that there are Vegetarian, Vegan & Gluten Free offerings.
