Funding help for Caithness and Sutherland animals in care
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The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Caithness and Sutherland has been awarded a £1000 grant from North Highland Initiative’s Community Support Programme to help the region’s four-legged friends in need during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Scottish SPCA is using its grant to pay for food, medicines and emergency vet treatment for around 25 animals in care and nine animals in foster care in homes in the surrounding areas, as well as running its Caithness and Sutherland Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre.
The Scottish SPCA receives no government funding and the majority of its income comes from fundraising and legacy giving, which is uncertain as sources of income may not always provide the funds to cover essential costs. In 2019 it cost £15.9 million to run the Scottish SPCA.
Whilst its Caithness centre is closed to the public, the Scottish SPCA is unable to receive donations of food or money and all fundraising has all but stopped, so the support from the North Highland Initiative is enabling the charity to continue running its services to help animals in need and people in the north highland community.
Launched in March, The North Highland Initiative’s Community Support Programme is already awarding grants of up to £1000 for small initiatives in the education, conservation, and community service and support sectors in Caithness, Sutherland and Ross and Cromarty.
Priority is being given to those initiatives where Government support packages are unable to help, and those ineligible for emergency grants.
Scottish SPCA Senior Trusts Officer, Ailsa Alcock, said: “The Scottish SPCA is extremely grateful to North Highland Initiative Community Support Programme for funding our Caithness and Sutherland Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre.
“The grant will be used to buy animal food and pay for essential vet treatment for animals in our care, or being fostered in the local community, at this challenging time.
“SCVO Funding Scotland Coronavirus Third Sector Information Hub has very clear information on how to apply for this fund. They were extremely helpful, and the application process was very straightforward and incredibly quick. I’d encourage other community groups to apply as soon as they can.”
Ash the border collie arrived at the Caithness and Sutherland Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre on February 9 with her seven puppies, all only a day old. All have now gone to foster homes with the possibility of being permanently rehomed.
Ash is also on foster and has been coming on leaps and bounds, but still needs a lot of work and tender loving care in order to build her confidence and bring her out of her shell. The grant has helped the Scottish SPCA pay for much needed puppy food and dog food for Ash. Additionally, the Scottish SPCA were able to have Ash spayed before she finds her forever home.
Scylla is a Rottweiler cross with a number of health issues. She is awaiting a spay operation as well as a hernia fix and mammary lump removal. The Scottish SPCA is delighted that Scylla is reserved and looking forward to living with her loving new family once she has had these essential operations, which the grant will fund.
David Whiteford, chairman of the North Highland Initiative, said: “We’re really pleased to have been able to provide financial support to the Scottish SPCA in Caithness and Sutherland.
“Our adapted NHI Support Fund is already helping communities that are experiencing particular hardship as a result of the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Our aim is to target areas, projects, and local initiatives for which Government Support packages may not be able to assist, and those ineligible for emergency funding.
“With a limit of £1000 of funding per project available, this allows us to provide multiple smaller grants aimed at reaching out to as many communities as possible and we now want to encourage even more community groups from across the North Highlands to apply.”
For more information about the North Highland Initiative’s Community Support Programme, and to apply for funding, visit: www.northhighlandinitiative.co.uk/community-support-covid19 and follow on social media, including Facebook www.facebook.com/NorthHighlandsScotland and Twitter www.twitter.com/north_highlands.
