SOUTH SOMERSET NEWS: Funds roll in for animal sanctuary appeal

PEOPLE are still helping the money pour in for Ferne Animal Sanctuary’s New Digs for Dogs £1million project for 2014-15 to build a new rehoming centre at their site near Chard.

While £500,000 has been saved over many years for the new building, the remaining half a million pounds still had to be found. Incredibly, £459,318.17 has been achieved so far, with the final push now underway to try and reach their goal this year.

Catherine Hansford, of Yeovil, decided to do something different to help the appeal and organised a Virtual Race.

Runners could choose to run wherever and whenever they liked. This could be on a treadmill, outside on the pavement or while running another race. People could even contribute by walking a distance with their favourite four-legged friend.

Walking 5k raised £5, 10k £10, a half marathon £15, a full marathon £20. In total, Catherine raised £225 for the appeal. An award ceremony with tea and cakes for the winners was held at Ferne Animal Sanctuary’s café.

PHOTO – TOP: Catherine Hansford, second from right, organiser of the Virtual Race event with race winners.

PHOTO – RIGHT: Patricia Gardner-Harper, acting director at Ferne Animal Sanctuary, with Mabel and Barney. She and the rest of the team at Ferne have been delighted with the success of the New Digs for Dogs appeal.

In addition, Sharron Down from Axminster, Devon, held a coffee morning at her home. She raised £162.07 from her penny box, raffle and bric-a-brac store.

Customers visiting Tesco in Seaton, Devon early in December helped volunteers raise a further £292.78 from collections outside the store.

A very well supported, great fun 60’s Night, which included a home-cooked supper, was held at Tatworth Memorial Hall in Chard, Somerset and raised another £463.

A further £1,000 donation was received by Jenny Wheadon, head of external funding at Ferne Animal Sanctuary, from Liz Selwood and Andy Benham at the Yorkshire Building Society in Taunton.

Jenny said: “Everyone at Ferne Animal Sanctuary is so grateful to all those who are donating and organising events for our appeal. We are so close to achieving our target now, it would be wonderful if this could happen before Christmas.

“The ideas that people have been coming up with to help the appeal are amazing - whoever would have thought that a Virtual Race could be so much fun. My dancing shoes were definitely on for the 60’s Night - it was fabulous!”

Fundraising packs for the appeal, details of how to donate and more information about all their events can be obtained by calling 01460-65214 or by visiting www.ferneanimalsanctuary.org or by clicking on Ferne’s logo on the right-hand side of this website.

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