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Status
Received: on time
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Income
£13.4K
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Spending
£35.5K
Public benefits
The trustees believe that our purposes satisfy both elements of the public benefit requirement. Purpose 1 The direct benefits which flow from this purpose include a sense of inner happiness and well being. These benefits are demonstrated when the Group often sees tolerance, empathy and understanding develop in a person where previously there had
been anger, frustration and bitterness. This is supported by feedback received from users of our services. This purpose does not give rise to any harm. The beneficiaries of this purpose are members of the public who have been enlightened about the needs of animals and who develop compassion and derive satisfaction from caring for them. By engaging with the animal, the person develops a positive association with cats instead of the negativity caused by the destructive behaviour of neglected, hungry cats. A private benefit flowing from this purpose is that more skills and experience are gained by the rescue volunteer involved which are transferable to other settings. These benefits are incidental and necessary to ensure the benefit is provided to our beneficiaries. Purpose 2 The direct benefits which flow from this purpose include reduced levels of stress and anxiety – members of the public are often upset in these situations and are ill-equipped to cope with the problem. These benefits are demonstrated by the immediate relief expressed by the person or persons who have come across these situations when the Group is able to give either practical help or advice. This is supported by feedback received from users of the Group’s services. This purpose does not give rise to any harm. The beneficiaries of this purpose are people who become empowered by the Cat Support Group to resolve an emergency situation involving a cat or other small animal when they would otherwise have had no support mechanisms to deal with the issue. A private benefit flowing from this purpose is that more skills and experience are gained by the rescue volunteer involved which are transferable to other settings. These benefits are incidental and necessary to ensure the benefit is provided to our beneficiaries. Purpose 3 The direct benefits which flow from this purpose include reduced levels of anxiety and stress in members of the public due to the alleviation of financial worries. These benefits are demonstrated by feedback from the person or persons to whom we are giving financial aid. This purpose does not give rise to any harm. The beneficiaries are those feeding the cats and also the community in cases where the Group is supporting a colony of cats. The Group often receives reports of improved community relations in such cases. A private benefit flowing from this purpose is that more skills and experience are gained by the rescue volunteer involved which are transferable to other settings. These benefits are incidental and necessary to ensure the benefit is provided to our beneficiaries. Purpose 4 The direct benefits which flow from this purpose include reduced levels of stress and anxiety and often financial relief from feeding so many cats. These benefits are demonstrated by feedback from the people directly involved with the colony of cats and others in the neighbourhood. By neutering all adult cats and removing all cats and kittens that can be rehomed, numbers at the site are immediately reduced and will continue to decrease through time. The beneficiaries of this purpose are all the people living in the area that the cats treat as their territory. The Group is aware from feedback that community relations have also improved as a result of feral animal control. A private benefit flowing from this purpose is that more skills and experience are gained by the rescue volunteer involved which are transferable to other settings, also the veterinary practice who were paid for neutering the cats. These benefits are incidental and necessary to ensure the benefit is provided to our beneficiaries.
... [more] [less]What your organisation does
The Cat Support Group (the “Group”) operates a feline fostering shelter network. Volunteers foster cats in their own homes and also undertake outreach support work in areas throughout Northern Ireland where there are cat-related problems. . Members of the public can contact us by email, text or through a range of telephone contact numbers that are
accessible through veterinary practices, our web page or leaflets. We are available 24/7 to give telephone advice and, where appropriate, practical help. We have a ‘no-kill’ policy with the result that no healthy animal is ever put to sleep. After a member of the public has approached us and we are giving him/her assistance it usually results in engagement with an education process about the caring needs of cats and their psychology. People who find themselves, often reluctantly, feeding cats, actually come to enjoy having them around. We are often called out to rescue cats or kittens in distress and if possible we remove the animals from danger and rehome them. We promote the practice of spaying or neutering cats and where necessary, help to trap the cats and cover the cost of the veterinary work. Elderly people or those without transport contact us to take cats to the vet or to bring them cat food. Sometimes people need to go into hospital or respite care at short notice and we try if possible to accommodate their cats if for some reason they cannot go into mainstream cat boarding facilities – maybe the cats are too old, ill or do not have the appropriate vaccinations. Often we are contacted by people with family members who are thought to have suddenly developed an allergy to the family pet, sometimes with a little help they can manage the situation so that particularly children, do not have the distress of having to give up a very beloved animal. Often by simply giving people time on the telephone we can help them to resolve what seemed to them to be insurmountable animal related problems.
... [more] [less]The charity’s classifications
- The advancement of animal welfare
Who the charity helps
- General public
How the charity works
- Advice/advocacy/information
- Animal welfare
- Volunteer development
