Charity

Public urged to do their bit amid ‘new’ challenges for animal welfare

Published

2 weeks ago

June 14, 2024

The RSPCA is set to mark its 200th birthday amid its busiest week of the year – with the charity using its landmark anniversary to issue a rallying call to the people of Wales to join a million-strong movement for animals.

Last year, across England and Wales, the charity took an astonishing 31,947 calls to its emergency line during its birthday week (12-18 June) – more than any other week of the entire year.

The charity’s rescuers also dealt with 5,573 incidents in that week alone – 352 of these in Wales – with its dedicated frontline teams responding to countless pets, wild and other animals subjected to cruelty, neglect and mistreatment. Officers throughout the year dealt with a mighty 19,679 incidents in Wales alone.

Animal rescuers are now braced for another busy period this year – as they prepare to celebrate 200 years of the RSPCA working with the public to change animals’ lives for the better.

It has already been incredibly busy for RSPCA officers throughout their 200th year – with 330,415 calls from across England and Wales received by the charity’s emergency line (up to 27 May) even before the busiest summer months begin; and rescuers dealing with a whopping 116,512 incidents of concern.

Earlier this year, a young badger cub who had fallen onto rocks at Porthlysgi Beach, St Davids, was released back into the wild after a period of RSPCA specialist care.

RSPCA Inspector and Wildlife Officer Keith Hogben attended the location – a rural cove off the Pembrokeshire Coast Path – to collect the badger and take him to a place of safety.

A video taken by Keith spotted he was hidden amongst the rocks. On this occasion a specialist bag designed for wildlife was used instead of a cage due to the difficulties accessing the location safely.

“The cub was found directly below a larger badger sett so we knew where he came from,” said Keith.

“Luckily he was spotted and we were able to find him amongst the rocks and able to get to him before anything happened to him. He would have been very vulnerable out in the open and in the daylight.”

The badger cub was then assessed by Keith and RSPCA Wildlife Officer Ellie West who provided specialist care for the cub. Once the badger was fully recovered from his ordeal they were able to return him to his sett.

Elsewhere, a goose was found with a can stuck on its mouth in Aberdare earlier this year. The Canadian cross greylag goose was spotted in a small pond behind the Lakeside area, near the Dare River, with the can wedged at the top of the beak and in its mouth, so the goose was unable to eat or drink.

RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Paula Milton was able to track down the goose and using her net she managed to catch him successfully so she could release him from the can.

“I took him away from the water and put a blanket over him to keep him calm,” she said. “I then got to work by carefully cutting the can off his mouth. Luckily it was aluminium so was easy to cut off.

“I checked him over and thankfully the can had only been on him for a maximum of 48 hours so hadn’t done too much damage and I was able to let him go straight away. He swam off and started to drink straight away.”

Thankfully, there was a happy ending in this case, however, the RSPCA say the incident is another reminder as to the dangers everyday objects can pose to animals – and the importance of ensuring waste and litter is always disposed of correctly.

Now – the charity is urging people to join its million-strong movement with animals facing “some of the biggest threats in our history” – including the cost of living crisis, the growth of intensive farming and climate change.

RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood said: “Our dedicated rescue teams are so busy on the frontline for animals, and – as we celebrate our landmark 200th anniversary this week – we’re expecting to be as busy as ever.

“Our birthday week was the busiest week of the whole year last year – and we’re proud that, working with the public, we’re continuing to help animals across Wales.

“But we know we can’t do this alone – and the support of our friends in the animal welfare sector, and the public, is set to be more important than ever as we all look to work together to create a kinder, better world for all animals.

“To keep creating a better world for every animal, we need more people to take action. That’s why, in our 200th year, we want one million people to join our movement – and to share in our vision for every kind.”

Sunday (16 June) marks two centuries since the animal welfare organisation – then the SPCA – was founded at Old Slaughter’s Coffee House in London, by a London vicar, Arthur Broome, and 22 founding members, including the MPs William Wilberforce and Richard Martin.

By 1840, Queen Victoria had given permission for the Society to add ‘Royal’ to its name – and this Royal link was recently maintained with HRH King Charles III confirmed as the charity’s new patron.

In the 200 years since its formation, the RSPCA has worked to change industries, laws, minds, and animals’ lives – and believes working with the public, and education, will be key with animals now facing a raft of new challenges.

The charity has launched a new tool on its website to help people understand how they can help an animal in need as quickly as possible.

Chris added: “We’re so proud that – in so many ways – animals’ lives have changed beyond recognition over the last two centuries.

“But we know animals are now facing some of the biggest threats in our history, from climate change to intensive farming, the cost of living and the ongoing effects of the pandemic.

“And the fact that we expect our birthday week to again be one of our busiest of the year for our officers highlights how the RSPCA cannot do this alone – animal welfare is for everyone.

“That’s why we’ve launched a new tool on our website, to help the public understand the best and quickest way of helping an animal they think needs help – like those which may be sick, injured, lost, or abandoned.

“Whether it’s transferring animals to the vet, sharing advice online, or contacting our rescuers to respond to cruelty and neglect, we can all do our bit for animals. Because a world that is better for animals, is better for us all.”

To find out more about how you can join the RSPCA’s million-strong movement for animals visit: www.rspca.org.uk/200.

Charity

RNLI’s rich history showcased in new exhibition at Oriel y Parc

Published

4 days ago

June 26, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A NEW exhibition at Oriel y Parc, National Park Discovery Centre celebrating 200 years of the RNLI will launch at the end of this month with an exciting opening event.

Courage and Community: RNLI 200 Cymru is inspired by the tales of valour from the six lifeboat stations and 13 RNLI lifeguarded beaches along Pembrokeshire’s beautiful but hazardous coastline. Timed to coincide with the RNLI’s 200th anniversary, the exhibition is a collaboration between Amgueddfa Cymru, the RNLI and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.

Consisting of stories, pictures and artefacts, Courage and Community will also feature an Arancia-class inshore rescue craft, offering visitors the chance to get on board, try out some RNLI equipment and have a taste of a rescue at sea.

The exhibition will open on Saturday 29 June in true celebratory style, with a packed programme of music, talks and family-friendly activities.

At 2pm and 2.45pm, Dr Julian Whitewright, Senior Investigator (Maritime) at the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, will give 15-minute talks on two notable rescue events from the 20th century – the 1900 wreck of the Cashier off the Solva coast, which involved the Little Haven rowing lifeboat; and the role played by the St Davids lifeboat in an incident involving three tug boats lost west of Solva in 1981.

With water safety forming a key theme at the exhibition, a drop-in engagement pod will be open throughout the day to provide water safety demos and advice from the RNLI and Sian Richardson, Founder of The Bluetits Chill Swimmers.

Live music will be performed by the Solva Ukelele Pirates and Mike Chant, St Davids lifeboat mechanic.

As well as some sea-themed games, younger visitors will have an opportunity to become engineers and magicians in a drop-in thaumatrope workshop with local artist, Kate Evans. A thaumatrope is one of the earliest forms of animation and is an optical illusion toy made from a paper disk, with a picture on each side.

Manager of Oriel y Parc Rachel Perkins said: “We are thrilled to present Courage and Community, an engaging and interactive experience that we hope will captivate our visitors. By showcasing the incredible local stories of bravery and dedication from the RNLI, we aim to deepen the public’s appreciation for their vital work and hopefully inspire a new generation of supporters and volunteers who will continue the legacy of lifesaving for years to come.”

The opening event of Courage and Community will take place on Saturday 29 June, between 10am-3pm. Entry to this remarkable exhibition is free and it will remain on display at Oriel y Parc until 1 June 2025.

More information about this and other events and exhibitions at Oriel y Parc can be found at www.orielyparc.co.uk.

Charity

Upton Castle Gardens celebrate great charity day

Published

6 days ago

June 24, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A GLORIOUS sunny day, a rose garden in full bloom and delicious cakes all helped Upton Castle Gardens near Pembroke raise £760 from entry fees and teas for thebraintumourcharity.org on Sunday June 17th.

The charity open day was held in conjunction with the Cosheston Open Gardens event, held the previous day, and it can be announced that the combined total of these community events being donated to the charity is £5083.

Visitors to Upton Castle Gardens, now an RHS partner garden, were able to enjoy the walled kitchen gardens as well as herbaceous borders and stunning roses. A gentle stroll in the woodland leading to the Cleddau estuary and tea and cakes prepared by the Upton Castle team, rounded off an excellent charity day and a very social weekend in the area, attended by Pembrokeshire residents from all parts of the County and further afield.

“We are delighted with the charity support we received from our visitors and are now looking forward to our exhibition of contemporary sculptures and paintings which will run from the 30th June until the 15th September.”explained Upton Castle owners Prue and Stephen Barlow.

Pictured below From left to right Alan Mason, daughter Hannah Mason, Jane Mason, Cosheston Open Gardens organisers and Prue Barlow of Upton Castle Gardens.

Charity

Thousands of young people turn to Childline for gender and sexuality support

Published

6 days ago

June 24, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THOUSANDS of children and young people across the UK continue to turn to Childline with queries and concerns about gender and sexuality.

Over the past 12 months the NSPCC service delivered 2,419 counselling sessions related to these issues. Where gender was known, 62% of these counselling sessions was with young people who identified as trans or non-binary.

The charity has released this data to mark Pride Month and to remind all children and young people that Childline offers free, impartial and non-judgemental support to everyone, no matter the topic.

The top five concerns discussed around sexuality and gender identity were:

Coming out
Questioning sexuality/gender identity
Gender dysphoria (where young people feel there is a mismatch between their biological sex and gender identity)
Bullying based on gender or sexuality
Discrimination and/or prejudice

Young people also contacted the service to talk about homophobia and transphobia they felt they had experienced or witnessed, either first-hand, online or through the media. Concerns are also being discussed that include waiting lists for services, such as gender identity services.

This Pride Month, the NSPCC is letting all young people know that Childline is there for them. The charity will be at Pride events up and down the country, which will be sponsored by Lidl GB, to show their support.

Thousands of people joined the Pride Cymru parade in Cardiff on Saturday in Wales’ biggest celebration of equality and diversity.

And last week, NSPCC Cymru staff joined hundreds to show their support at Cowbridge Pride where H from Steps led the celebrations.

Through their Talk Relationships service, the NSPCC is also supporting secondary school teachers to feel more confident when delivering sessions around healthy relationships and leading inclusive discussions.

Childline is encouraging adults to be understanding and respectful when young people are exploring their sexuality and gender identity, as well as being there for any young person who wishes to discuss these topics. Childline is also a safe space for young people to explore this subject and there are resources available online for both children and parents.

Many young people will approach Childline to speak to a trained counsellor if they are finding it difficult to reach out to a trusted friend or adult to discuss these topics.

One young person, aged 15, told Childline: “I’m struggling to let my parents know I’m gay. I’ve told my sister, and that went well, but I know my parents will be dismissive and just say I’m too young to know for sure. I don’t want them to change everything about how they see me because of my identity, but at the same time I want them to accept and love me for who I really am.”

Concerns around bullying due to gender and sexuality issues are also being addressed by counsellors – Childline provided over 330 counselling sessions in the past year where young people mentioned this type of bullying.

Shaun Friel, Childline Director, said: “Young people may worry about judgement or a lack of acceptance when expressing their thoughts and concerns around sexuality and gender identity.

“That is why it’s crucial that there are confidential and non-judgemental spaces such as Childline where children can share freely and feel supported. This Pride Month, the service remains as committed as ever to helping young people with these concerns.”

Childline is available for young people via the phone on 0800 1111 and online through the 121 chat on the Childline website.

Children can also visit the website to find more advice on any concerns or questions they may have on gender identity and sexuality. There is the service’s moderated message boards to get support from their peers.

For parents and carers, the NSPCC also has information on its website on how to talk to children about their sexuality and advice on how to help keep them safe.

For the second year, Lidl GB is sponsoring the NSPCC’s presence at Pride events in Great Britain, helping the charity to demonstrate that it is there for all children and young people. Lidl GB’s funding covers the cost of the NSPCC’s entry to Pride events as well as the NSPCC and Childline Pride t-shirts and banners to ensure there is a powerful presence at each event. Lidl GB has been partnered with the NSPCC for over 7 years and is currently supporting young people with their mental health by raising money for Childline. It has raised over £9 million for the NSPCC to date.