1

RSPCA Suffolk East & Ipswich BranchRegistered Charity No. 206269 NEWS

Summer 2020

www.ipswich-rspca.org.uk

In this issue:FINALLY COMING OUT OF LOCKDOWN!Branch updateVirtual Fun Day winners

2

Welcome!Welcome to your Summer edition of our newsletter. I am so pleased to be able to let you know that our four shops are all now back open. This was no mean feat and our shop managers, and their volunteers have all worked tirelessly to make their shops COVID-Secure.

Our Clinic is taking a little longer to re-open, whilst we work with our vets to put all the appropriate saftey measures in place. We hope to be able to re-open the doors mid September. We owe a debt of thanks to the Barn Veterinary Group who have continued to see our clinic clients during this difficult time.

Thanks to changes in legislation our Animal Centre is now able to rehome animals by appointment and Zoe, our Centre Manager, and her team have been working hard to get the centre COVID-Secure so that we can welcome adopters back onsite. This is great news not only for us but for our furry friends as well!

As always, thank you for your continued support and we wish all our supporters the best of health!

Best Wishes

Branch Manager

Kim Puttock

Meet PopeyePopeye ended up in our care after being found as an injured stray. Unfortunately, this poor lad sustained a serious injury to one of his eyes leaving us no option but to remove it. It was then found that the sight in his other eye was also compromised so Popeye is nearly (if not) completely blind.

Popeye was placed into a foster home so he can get a feel of home life and has adjusted wonderfully! Because of his lack of sight, we would like Popeye to be an indoor cat to keep him out of harm’s way.Popeye has had a rough time, but despite this he is a laid back and affectionate boy.

Breed: Domestic short-hairedAge: Unknown (adult)Gender: MaleLikes: Chin rubs & a nice breeze

3

Shadow’s StoryShadow came into our care after being signed over by his owner as they were struggling to administer the treatment he needed for a very poorly eye.

Once in our care Shadow was seen by a vet and it was believed he had a viral infection which had caused his painful eye condition. This, along with dry-eye means that Shadow would need eye drops every day for the rest of his life. Knowing how scared Shadow was of having eye drops, we began to work on desensitising him

to the idea of having them administered, but sadly this was going to be a very long road and the treatment he needed was urgent. After many more vet appointments it was decided that the best option for Shadow was to have his eye removed. A simple procedure which would free him from his discomfort and allow him to trust humans to provide him with love and affection without the worrying association of eye drops.

A few weeks on and Shadow is a different cat! He has learnt to trust our cattery team, and has made a very special bond with Emily, our Cattery Assistant. He is still wary of new people but can often be found snuggling up on Emily’s lap for a cuddle.

Shadow has made a great recovery and he is now available for re-homing. We hope to find him a very understanding new family who can provide him with patience and a lot of love.

CENTRE NEWSComing out of Lockdown!We have had to change our rehoming procedures as a result of COVID-19 and are operating on an appointment basis. If you’re looking to re-home an animal, please visit our website www.ipswich-rspca.org.uk or call us on 0300 999 7321.

Titan UpdateTitan has made vast improvements since our last update. His leg is almost completely healed! Although he requires careful and monitored exercise, Titan now enjoys long walks and can run free while off lead in our secure field. Titan is still enjoying life in his foster home with our Kennel Supervisor Natalie, and this lively boy is now on the search for his forever home! Visit www.ipswich-rspca.org.uk for more information

4

SHOP NEWSWe are Open!As a self-funding branch, having our shops back open is a huge relief. We have been so overwhelmed with the generosity of our supporters and the many, many donations we have already received. If you have donations for any of our shops please give them a call prior to arriving as we are having to work to new procedures and guidance from the Government. This means having to store our donated items for a minimum of 48 hours before we can process them, which is creating storage issues in each shop.

Felixstowe 144a Hamilton Road, Felixstowe, IP11 7DS

Our Felixstowe shop is a friendly emporium with an extensive range of goods. We often have designer clothes in stock as well as vintage ones. We sell interesting ornaments, housewares, CDs, DVDs and always have an excellent stock of books. We are well known for our craft section and usually have lots of material, buttons, beads and wool in stock.

You will find us opposite Underwoods Hardware store in Hamilton Road and we have a parking space behind our shop for dropping off donations, which is accessed via St. Andrews road. Come and say hello next time you visit Felixstowe.

Ipswich 1-3 Tacket Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AU

Situated in Ipswich town centre, Tacket Street is filled with everything from DVDs and books to fabulous clothes and accessories, practical and PAT tested electrical items and RSPCA branded new goods.

Our Tacket Street shop is located at the bottom of Upper Brook Street, just around the corner and the other side of the road from Sainsbury’s Supermarket. Its position is very convenient for parking with an NCP car park right next door.

5

Reynolds Road 15 Reynolds Road, Ipswich, IP3 0JL

Our smallest shop to date is packed with lovely things and great bargains, including children’s clothes and toys, ladieswear and PAT tested small electrical items. We can be found in the small parade of shops in Reynolds Road, opposite the Post Office, off Landseer Road. There is free car parking right outside the shop.

We’re looking for reliable and enthusiastic volunteers to help on various days of the week. If you are able to help, please contact Debbie at reynoldsroadshop.ipswich@rspca-ipswich.org.uk.

Stowmarket 6 Wilkes Way, Stowmarket, IP14 1DE

Situated opposite Costa Coffee in the parade of shops next to ASDA in Stowmarket, our latest shop opened in December 2018. Its bright, airy interior is filled with everything from DVDs and books to fabulous clothes and accessories, bric-a-brac, games and new RSPCA branded goods. If you’d like to drop off donations, there is a small yard at the rear of the shop.

We are looking for new volunteers to help run the shop and raise money for our animals. If you’d like to help, please contact Julie at stowmarket.shop@rspca-ipswich.org.uk.

Clinic UpdateOur Clinic sadly remains closed. We are working with our partner vets, the Barn Veterinary Group to re-open as soon as possible, whilst ensuring that all the nescessary precautions are in place for the safety of our clients, staff, volunteers and vet/nurse attending. We anticipate this will be mid-September. Keep an eye on our website www.rspca-ipswich.org.uk for updates.

In the meantime if you are an existing Client and your pet needs to see a vet or your require a repeat prescription please contact the Clinic on 01473 231972 between 11am-1pm on Tuesdays and Fridays.

6

But generous donations from our wonderful supportersIt has been a difficult decision, but we are cancelling our annual Open Day & Fun Dog Show, scheduled for 6 September. Despite lockdown measures being eased, we unfortunately can’t see a way to hold the event safely this year.

It will be a big loss of income, as well as a huge disappointment – particularly to the Animal Centre staff and volunteers who love to see dogs they’ve rehomed happy and well in their new lives. However, our priority is the safety of our staff, volunteers and visitors.

Calling off the Open Day comes on the back of cancelling our Family Fun Day in May and our One Fun Day in June, as well as our supermarket collections and quiz. But we’re still hoping that other events, such as our Quiz in October and Christmas Fair in November, will go-ahead, and we have arranged our first socially distanced store collection – at the Co-op in Felixstowe on Saturday 12 September.

We’ve had some fantastic support, including one person making masks for us to sell and another running a socially distanced plant stall for us. To replace the One Fun Day, we held a Virtual Pet Show (see the winners opposite), which raised £404.37 in total. One of our Trustees put us forward to receive a matched donation from their company’s Dress Down Fridays. If any of your employers do similar charity events, please consider suggesting the Animal Centre.

Overall, our financial position is stable, and we have money in the bank to tide us over until, hopefully, our income picks up. The situation is evolving and we’re confident that getting the shops open will bring in much needed cash. We are actively looking at safe ways of holding events, but in the interim, if you could make a financial donation, that would be the best way to help us right now. We continue to have our day to day running costs and are anticipating an increased need for our services in the coming months.

Open Day Cancellation

I have had the pleasure of working at RSPCA Suffolk East and Ipswich Branch for just over 22 years. I started straight out of college and at that time I worked with all different species of animals at the re-homing centre. My favourite animal to work with is cats and I spent a number of years based on our cattery units before undertaking my current position as a receptionist.

Working on reception can be very upsetting at times but also very rewarding. When you are able to help people and seeing the animals from the day they arrive in our care, to the day they go to their new homes is the best part of my job.

The animal centre is an amazing place to work and all the staff are very dedicated to giving the animals the best care and attention they need.

Meet the team Centre Receptionist

Sally Locke

7

The Winners!

Best Rescue - Rolo

Golden Oldie - Winston

Best Companion - RosieBest Companion - Rosie

Joi de Vivre - Margo

Sleeping Beauty - Cookie

Perfectly Imperfect - Leo

8

ContactsHon Branch President Sue SouthgateHon Branch Chairman Jean Short jean.short@rspca-ipswich.org.uk Hon Branch Treasurer Mary Taylor mary.taylor@rspca-ipswich.org.ukHon Branch Secretary Lesley Newton lesley.newton@rspca-ipswich.org.uk

Branch Manager Kim Puttock kim.puttock@rspca-ipswich.org.ukBranch Administrator Kate Grimwood 01449 614057 (Office hours) kate.grimwood@rspca-ipswich.org.uk

Animal Centre - 2 Mill Lane, Martlesham IP12 4PD 0300 999 7321 APPOINTMENT ONLY**Please call ahead to arrange visit Phone lines open: 9am – 4.30pm Animal Centre Manager Zoe Barrett martlesham@rspca-ipswich.org.uk Felixstowe Charity Shop - 144a Hamilton Road 01394 275350 Visit our website for up-to-date opening hoursManager Cathie Livesey felixstowe.shop@rspca-ipswich.org.ukDeputy Manager Joanne Emmerson Ipswich Charity Shop - 1-3 Tacket St 01473 253420 Visit our website for up-to-date opening hoursManager Sue Smith tacketstreetshop.ipswich@rspca-ipswich.org.ukDeputy Manager Alison Brookes

Ipswich Charity Shop - 15 Reynolds Rd 01473 714482 Visit our website for up-to-date opening hoursManager Debbie Wright reynoldsroadshop.ipswich@rspca-ipswich.org.uk

Stowmarket Charity Shop - Wilkes Way 01449 259036 Visit our website for up-to-date opening hoursManager Julie Sommerville stowmarket.shop@rspca-ipswich.org.ukDeputy Manager Jill Chandler

RSPCA Clinic - 35a St George’s Street Ipswich 01473 231972 CURRENTLY CLOSED* *Phone still answered Tues & Fri 11-1pm for repeat prescription and essential enquiries Clinic Administrator Rebecca Moll clinic@rspca-ipswich.org.uk

24 Hour Emergency Cruelty & Advice line 0300 1234 999

www.ipswich-rspca.org.uk

@rspcasuffolkeastandipswich

rspca_martlesham

f=