IT ' S BEEN A WHILE !
By Dr Bel Deering , Manager
Welcome to our Autumn newsletter . A lot has gone on at the Centre since our last edition as we have been working hard to help animals across lockdown and beyond .
However , being so busy has meant we have had less time – and less staff – to contribute to this update . As such , this newsletter is a little later than usual , but despite this I am sure that the stories here will give you a flavour of life in the Wildlife and Animal Centres during the last few difficult months .
As the different articles describe , Covid-19 has had a big impact . We have experienced changes in how we admit , rehabilitate , rehome or release animals as well as changes in our team as staff have gone on furlough to help us achieve social distancing and save some much-needed funds . It has been hard to adjust for the entire team but as ever , our wonderful people have risen valiantly to the challenge .
Of course , even while us humans have had to do things so differently , in many ways the needs of animals have not changed . At the time of writing , the Animal Centre had admitted 322 animals since the start of the year , and the Wildlife Centre , 2,242 . Some of these animal ’ s stories are included in this newsletter and serve to illustrate the breadth of our work – from hand rearing kittens to caring for dormice . You will also read a special story from one of our Friends group committee members , Joan Ibbs . Like all of us , Joan was deeply affected by the news of the Australian bushfires and the impact it had on animals and people . In this edition she shares some of her favourite memories of her life in Australia . It makes for a fascinating read and we also hope that it will help keep support going for that worthy cause .
Closer to home , though , we are pleased to have kept the Centres up and running despite Covid-19 and in amongst all the hard times and difficult situations , there have been moments that have inspired us all and reminded us of the value of our work . These have included the recent news of a swan we released back in 2010 being sighted with five cygnets in tow ; the seal we released in Devon in 2019 being reported in Lundy in recent weeks ; and our own Animal Care Assistant , Aura , winning the Adrian Donno Award for outstanding work towards animal welfare .
Although we aren ’ t yet able to welcome our volunteers and supporters back on site yet , we do still need help . In this newsletter you will see information about our Amazon Wishlist . We encourage all our supporters to share this with friends , family and business contacts to ensure the animals in the Centre get the best possible care . Also , as we have been unable to hold our usual fundraising events we are looking for help to raise money via raffle ticket sales . If you receive this newsletter by post then you should find some books of tickets inside and we hope that you can sell a few on our behalf .
Thanks so much for your continued support . Stay safe and we hope to see you soon !
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