Coffee Morning For Our Four Local Animal Sanctuaries

Our Coffee Morning at Co-operative Funeralcare where Babz works, was a great success. Because Wear Valley & Darlington Cats Protection, Ark on the Edge, Kays Hill Animal Sanctuary and Stray Aid are all overflowing with unwanted animals, we decided that we would try to make this event a really good one and they could all share the proceeds. We had so many people in at one time that the room we use for events was overflowing into the corridor and into Babz office too.

We had been a bit worried that not many would turn up, two elderly friends Tommy and Aileen, who always support us were poorly, another two friends Kath and Carol had hospital appointments and our friend Sue who along with her two daughters is a volunteer at Ark on the Edge, had a fall and badly hurt her wrist. She was going to run the tombola for us. Thankfully the two friends who always help us, Bryan who washes up and Pearl who sells the raffle tickets, came with Pearl’s auntie Joyce in tow and she agreed to help us out. Walter and Jozef had co-operated by coming in so we could have a good early start and we had everything set out by 10 o clock and even time for a cup of tea.

The people just poured through the doors, we had two small busloads of physically or mentally disabled, so quite a few wheelchairs around. Babz was rushed off her feet doing her usual daily job along with being hostess, I was to and fro with cups of tea and coffee and then along came Dylan the celebrity cat, with Chris who adopted him from Ark on the Edge.

It was lovely they came on behalf of one of the four Sanctuaries, even coming by bus because Sue who hurt her wrist had been going to drive them. Dylan wasn’t at all phased by his journey or all the people around when he arrived, he happily strolled on his harness amongst everyone and posed for lots of photos.

For anyone who hasn’t read about Dylan before, he is stone deaf and he goes all over with Chris, raising money for charities.

He’s such a lovely chunky boy, his fur is very soft and he just loves everyone he meets. He sat on the lap of Sharon Griffiths, a local celebrity who is an author and long standing journalist, she came to judge the Easter egg competition. We didn’t envy her the task, there were so many entries and all very attractive, there was an Edward Scissorhands and even a Wayne Rooney, everyone enjoyed seeing all the entries and the judging of them.

The morning went on and people came non stop, another friend Colin, who couldn’t come, sent a £20 donation along, everyone was very generous. Emma Jane brought us some hand made cards to sell and some of her knitted catnip mice, Dylan loved his, we bought two for our own boyz and they went mad over them when we gave them to them last night.

Babz area manager Jenette came along, she’s a lovely lady, she calls me an honorary staff member because I usually help Babz with charity stuff on behalf of the firm.

We had a laugh when it quietened down a bit. As you can imagine Babz and I were desperate to stroke and cuddle Dylan, we posed for our photos with him and Sharon but I got cast in the floor lol my poor old worn out legs just wouldn’t work and it took three to haul me up because I got the giggles which made it worse. I’m glad Babz didn’t have the camera handy then!

When all calmed down we had the raffle and then the count up, the total was £197 and Sharon kindly made it up to £200 even though she’d already donated and bought two catnip mice for a friend’s cat. She’s such a lovely lady, Babz and I hadn’t actually met her before but she knew of us because of what we do and also a few years back she awarded Babz ‘the bouquet of the week’ via her column in the Northern Echo.

After it was all over, the clearing up began, I came home after I’d done as much as I could but Babz was another two hours, tackling the lists of winners etc and then her usual paperwork she hadn’t had time to do yet.

Walt and Jo were happy to see me, they burst out the door demanding to know why they had been shut in so long. By the time Babz arrived home they had been out and fed and settled again, so we caught up a little bit on phone calls and messages, finding out how the poorly friends were and telling them how it all went.

It was hard work, the older we get the harder, but well worth it, we are very pleased with the result because £50 for each Sanctuary will buy a good lot of food for all the animals in care. But we couldn’t do all this without the support and generosity of our friends, we are lucky to have such a wonderful community spirit around us.

Happy Easter everyone.

Ruth aka Kattaddorra