PDSA is calling on kind hearted people who want to make a difference in the local community
The UK’s leading vet charity, PDSA, is calling on kind hearted people who want to make a difference in the local community to support its life-saving work by offering a helping hand at its South Bridge shop in Edinburgh.
The shop, located at 88-89 South Bridge, helps to fund vital veterinary work across PDSA’s 48 Pet Hospitals – including Edinburghl Pet Hospital – which cares for thousands of pets every year.
Shop Manager Ingrid Neill is urgently appealing for locals to volunteer some time at the store: “The success of PDSA charity shops is all down to our amazing team of volunteers,” Ingrid explains. “We urgently need help from more local people to continue the life-changing work we do every day in our Pet Hospitals.”
One of more than 100 PDSA shops in the UK, the South Bridge team plays a pivotal role in helping to fund the charity’s 48 Pet Hospitals, including the Edinburgh Pet Hospital, which provides a lifeline to local pet owners who would otherwise struggle to afford veterinary treatment if their pet unexpectedly becomes ill or gets injured.
In 2022, the Edinburgh Pet Hospital carried out more than 18,000 consultations, 13,000 of which were face-to-face. The hospital costs more than £1.3 million a year to run.
“Volunteering for PDSA is not only rewarding, knowing you’ll be helping a brilliant cause, but it is also fun – you’ll get to meet new people and make some friends along the way in a warm and supportive environment” Ingrid adds.
““It also looks great on your CV and you’ll receive full training so no previous retail experience is required and we’ll reimburse your travel expenses so you’re not out of pocket.
“If you are an animal-lover who is aged 18 or over and would like to play a part in helping pets in need, we’d love to hear from you!”
There is a network of more than 3,000 devoted PDSA volunteers across the UK who save the charity over £4 million a year by dedicating their time to helping out.
Volunteers can choose to spend as much or as little of their spare time to helping out as there is no minimum time commitment.
To find out more please contact Ingrid on 0131 2264925 or pop into the shop.
PDSA, the vet charity for pets in need, is appealing for animal lovers to support its vital veterinary work by donating unwanted Christmas gifts to its charity shops.
PDSA’s shops play a pivotal role in helping to fund its 48 Pet Hospitals which provide a lifeline to owners who would otherwise struggle to afford veterinary treatment if their pet unexpectedly becomes ill or gets injured.
With inflation at a 40-year high and millions of households already facing extreme financial hardship, demand for PDSA’s services is expected to rise, meaning donations to its shops are more important than ever.
In 2021, PDSA treated over 370,000 pets and saved the lives of 134,000 animals – ultimately keeping furry family members united with their owners. As day-to-day prices continue to soar and households are hit by increased financial pressures, the charity expects demand for its services to grow.
The 2022 PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report, conducted in March, found that nearly a third of pet owners surveyed are worried about affording veterinary costs – leaving them facing potentially heart-breaking decisions should their pet require treatment.
The results follow shocking statistics from the 2021 PAW Report which revealed a staggering 930,000 pets were at risk of being put to sleep if their owners were hit with unexpected vet bills.
PDSA Head of Retail and Buying Lloyd Hughes said: “PDSA receives no government funding and relies solely on public support to fund our vital work. Without the money raised in our shops and donations given to us by kind-hearted members of the public, we wouldn’t be able to fund the life-saving treatment we provide in our 48 Pet Hospitals.
“By donating unwanted Christmas gifts, that may otherwise sit in a cupboard or even be thrown away, to our charity shops, people can make a real difference to the lives of pets and their owners, keeping families together.”
No pet owner should be faced with losing a beloved pet because they can no longer afford to pay for treatment. For many vulnerable pets, PDSA is there to help when there is nowhere else for their owners to turn.
PDSA encourages all supporters to sign up for Gift Aid* if they are a UK tax payer, to help their donations go even further. Gift Aid allows PDSA to claim an additional 25 per cent of the value of each item sold.
PDSA, the vet charity for pets in need, is urging savvy shoppers to combat the cost of living crisis this Christmas by picking up pre-loved presents and brand new gifts from its charity shops across the UK.
With inflation at a 40-year high, families who are feeling the squeeze can make vital savings this season by popping into one of PDSA’s 105 shops and choosing from a treasure trove of bargains.
By shopping in the stores, kind-hearted customers will not only be reducing their own costs, they will also be helping to fund the vital work of the charity’s 48 Pet Hospitals.
PDSA is the UK’s largest veterinary charity. It receives no government funding to provide its vital veterinary services, which are a lifeline to owners who would otherwise struggle to afford treatment if their pet unexpectedly becomes ill or gets injured.
In 2021, PDSA treated more than 370,000 pets and saved the lives of 134,000 animals – ultimately keeping furry family members united with their owners. As day-to-day prices continue to soar and households are hit by increased financial pressures, the charity expects demand for its services to grow.
Its 2022 PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report, conducted in March, found that nearly a third of pet owners surveyed are worried about affording veterinary costs – leaving them facing potentially heart-breaking decisions should their pet require treatment.
The results follow shocking statistics from the 2021 PAW Report which revealed a staggering 930,000 pets were at risk of being put to sleep if their owners were hit with unexpected vet bills.
PDSA Head of Retail and Buying, Lloyd Hughes, said: “Our charity shops play a crucial role in funding the work of our Pet Hospitals which, in turn, provide a lifeline to people and their beloved pets when they are most in need.
“The help we offer to owners who would otherwise struggle to afford the cost of veterinary treatment has never been more vital as the cost of living continues to rise and day-to-day expenses soar.
“All of the items we sell, whether they are pre-loved or brand-new, are high-quality and available at bargain prices so shoppers supporting us can be sure they will find an array of Christmas gifts for friends and family, even if they are on a tight budget.
“From books to clothes, household items to toys, we have a great selection which won’t break the bank. By shopping at PDSA, customers will also be making a positive difference to the lives of pet owners who are facing unprecedented financial challenges so it really is a win, win situation.”
Those who do not have a charity shop locally can still bag a bargain and support PDSA by visiting the ebay store.
PDSA believes no one should be faced with losing a beloved pet because they can no longer afford to pay for treatment. For many vulnerable pets, PDSA is there to help when there is nowhere else for their owners to turn.
PDSA encourages all supporters to sign up for Gift Aid* if they are a UK tax payer, to help their donations go even further. Gift Aid allows PDSA to claim an additional 25 per cent of the value of each item sold.
New ‘Wear Warm’ awareness campaign calls for 1.2 million households in Scotland to ‘turn down’ the heating amid energy crisis
Half of Scotland’s homes are heated to the same temperature as Barbados (50%)
Overheating our homes costs households in Scotland £206m each year
Scotland’s ‘T-shirt tweakers’ are generating the same amount of pollution as driving 4.7 bilion miles in a car
660 charity shops nationwide sign up to ‘Wear Warm’ campaign, to promote being cosy over costly this winter
A new consumer behaviour change campaign is calling on 13 million UK households – 1.2 million of which are in Scotland – not to heat their homes any higher than 21 degrees and consider other ways to get cosy instead.
The ‘Wear Warm’ campaign was launched today after research undertaken by Utilita Energy – the only energy company created to help households use less energy – revealed that almost half of the nation’s homes are heated to 24 degrees centigrade for half the year – the same temperature as Barbados. Utilita is the energy supplier to 10K households in Scotland.
Based on 48% of the UK’s homes being heated to 3 degrees higher than the recommended healthy heat (18-21 degrees), an additional 13 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year.
The figure is slightly higher in Scotland – at 50% of homes. For the entire UK, that’s the same pollution generated by around seven million cars each year – 20% of the UK’s cars. In Scotland overheating homes creates the same amount of pollution generated by 2% of the UK’s cars each year.
To promote the importance of getting cosy over getting costly this winter, the ‘Wear Warm’ campaign will be featured nationwide at 660 charity shops. Anyone keen to cut their heating bills can get hold of some gorgeous preloved winter garments – and keep them out of landfill.
The pro-planet ‘double-whammy’ campaign was officially launched by two of the nation’s sustainable heroes – former England goalkeeper and environmentalist David James MBE and British fashion designer Wayne Hemmingway MBE.
David James MBE, former England goalkeeper and environmentalist, comments on the Wear Warm campaign: “One of my personal bugbears is seeing people sitting at home in the winter, wearing a T-shirt, with the heating cranked up.
“There’s absolutely no sense in it, and now we have the evidence to reveal the impact that this type of behaviour is having on the planet and the pocket.
“For example, to offset the pollution generated by overheated homes here in the UK, we’d need to plant 51 million trees each year – that’s enough to cover 392,000 football pitches.”
Wayne Hemingway MBE, British fashion designer, comments on the Wear Warm campaign: “It’s bloomin’ obvious really, it totally makes sense to put another layer on and it makes sense on many levels; for the environment, for your health (cooler environments help prevent the spread of a number illnesses) and your pocket. Why wouldn’t you?”
Maria Chenoweth, CEO of TRAID, has signed up its 12 charity shops to participate in the Wear Warm campaign – she comments: “The UK is so fortunate to have a thriving network of 11,200 charity shops, on nearly every high street. Let’s use them to stay warm!
“If you need to replenish your winter wardrobe, buy second-hand. It’s one of the best things you can do for the environment, especially when you consider that 10,000 items are thrown into landfill every five minutes in the UK alone, while the global fashion industry pumps out 3.3 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases annually contributing significantly to the climate crisis.
“TRAID’s charity shop rails are packed with affordable, high quality winter wear selected expertly by our sorting team. So, when your home starts to feel the chill, reach for your wardrobe – and your local charity shop – instead of turning up the heat.”
The cost of overheating our homes
The average annual saving for homes reducing their thermostat by three degrees is £174. That’s a £206 million annual saving for those who are currently overheating in Scotland.
In addition, around half (51%) of households say they use additional sources of heat, including:
Electric fan heater (25%) – Cost £3 per 8 hours / same pollution as driving 6 miles
Oil-filled radiators (21%) – Cost £3.40 per 8 hours / same pollution as driving 17 miles
Gas cooker (19%) – Cost 64p per 8 hours / same pollution as driving 12 miles
Electric blanket (17%) – Cost £8p per 8 hours / same pollution as driving 0.4 miles
A third of households who use an additional heat source say they don’t know if it is cheaper than using the central heating system, or not (32%). Another third say they know the additional heat source is more expensive than the central heating, but use it regardless (33%).
Archie Lasseter, global warming expert and sustainability lead at Utilita Energy, said: “If every household made a pledge to stay within 18-21 degrees, the UK would hit its net zero obligation almost two years ahead of its deadline.
“Based on 48% of the UK’s homes being heated to 3 degrees higher than the recommended healthy heat (18-21 degrees), as a nation we are generating an additional 13 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year. That’s the same pollution generated by around seven million cars each year.”
Frazer Scott, CEO of Energy Action Scotland, said: “Ahead of what could be a challenging winter, I am pleased to support Utilita’s Wear Warm campaign which highlights the thermal benefits of natural fibres and products.
“Keeping warm is essential for our health and wellbeing.”
Bill Bullen, Founder and CEO of Utilita Energy – the UK’s only energy supplier created to help households use less energy – said: “Energy bosses and MPs have previously been berated for daring to suggest that consumers put a jumper on to stay warm, and on the subject of fuel poverty – it’s not the right message.
“But there’s no excuse for today’s Government to avoid a simple ‘don’t go above 21 degrees message’, as we have.
“We’re confident that our simple and effective message will have a positive impact on the pockets of bill payers this winter and will help out Mother Earth – let’s make the year 2021 the last year that we heated our homes to higher than 21 degrees.”
For more information about the campaign, or for stores to sign up, please visit:
Cats Protection’s charity shop in Dalry Road is opening its doors to customers on Monday following the easing of retail lockdown restrictions.
Staff and volunteers have been busy preparing to welcome back customers, and measures will once again be in place to ensure the safety of everyone in stores, including limits on the numbers of customers, hand sanitising stations and rigorous cleaning.
The shops will be ready and waiting to take in donations of good quality second-hand clothing, accessories, books and bric-a-brac. With so many people using lockdown as a time to have a clear-out it is expected there will be a considerable amount of donations to sort through; which also means there will be lots of new stock for customers to browse.
Opening hours will be 9-5 Monday to Saturday, and shorter hours on Sundays (please check with your local shop).
Area Retail Manager Ian Trotter said: “We can’t wait to welcome back customers after such a long time but the safety of our staff, volunteers and customers is our highest priority and previously introduced safety measures will continue to be observed to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
“It is great to know that we will once again be able to support the work of our network of volunteers in helping cats and kittens in need.”
Cats Protection is a national network of around 230 volunteer-run branches, 37 centres and 109 shops, helping around 200,000 cats and kittens every year.
BHF Scotland ready to welcome customers back to its shops
British Heart Foundation (BHF) Scotland is preparing to welcome customers back to its stores across the country, as lockdown restrictions continue to ease.
The nation’s heart charity will be reopening its high street shops and will be able to accept donations in store again next Monday 26th April. The BHF’s home stores reopened in Scotland earlier this month. BHF shops in England and Wales reopened last week and saw their busiest day ever, recording £1million in sales in a single day.
James Jopling, Head of BHF Scotland, said: “It goes without saying how excited we are to get all our shops back up and running in Scotland and we cannot wait to see our loyal customers, staff and volunteers once again. The coronavirus crisis has had a seismic impact on the income of the BHF and the last 12 months have been the hardest in our 60-year history.
“Our shops play a huge role in funding vital research into heart and circulatory diseases and run purely on the support of the public, which is why we never take for granted a camera, book or sofa that’s donated to us. Every item donated and sold can help us to support the 700,000 people living with heart and circulatory diseases across Scotland and aid our recovery from the devastating impact of the pandemic.”
As well as raising funds for life saving research, the BHF’s network of shops across the country also provide a wider benefit to society. Last year alone, BHF shops and stores saved 71,000 tonnes of items from ending up in landfill. That includes around 200,000 sofas, as well as other furniture, electrical items, books, toys and 14,000 tonnes of clothing.
Customers who’ve taken time during lockdown to declutter are being urged to donate preloved items, and there are plenty of bargains and finds for those looking for a Spring makeover too.
Jane Flannery, Senior Regional Director at the BHF, said: “Our teams have been working tirelessly to ensure everything is ready for reopening. Our number one priority will be ensuring the safety of everyone who shops, works and volunteers with us and we have made it easier for people to donate either in store, by post or through our free collection service.
“We’re so fortunate to have such loyal supporters across Scotland and many of them have already been contacting our shops telling us how much they are looking forward to coming back in or donating items to us. We’ve really missed them too.”
In line with Scottish Government guidelines and to ensure the safety of all those accessing the BHF’s shops, a number of changes have been made in the last year, including perspex screens at till points, hand sanitiser points throughout shops, limiting the number of people in each shop at any one time, enhanced cleaning schedules, social distancing on the shop floor and people will be asked to wear masks unless exempt.
Customers will also be encouraged to pay by card or contactless payment where possible.
For those not ready to hit the high street, smaller items such as branded clothing, jewellery, vinyl records and cameras, can be donated using the BHF’s freepost donation service.
Customers will larger items to donate can arrange a Covid-secure home collection online or via their local store and have their items picked up free of charge. Goods such as sofas, beds, bookcases, table and chairs, homewares, TVs and other electricals in working order would be welcomed.
To find your local BHF shop and full details on how you can help support us, visit www.bhf.org.uk
~ Leading charity says crisis could cut its income in half this year, and urges public to support Britain’s best loved charities in months ahead ~
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is reopening the first of its shops across Scotland, as it seeks to recover from the devastating impact of the Covid-19 crisis on its income.
The charity planned a phased reopening to ensure it could create a safe working environment for its staff and volunteers, many of whom are living with heart and circulatory diseases.
Ten stores across Edinburgh and the Lothians will open today (Saturday 18th July) with all 76 shops in Scotland due to reopen by the end of July.
BHF shops in Lothian Road, Edinburgh and Leith, Dalry, Bathgate, Craigmillar, Dalkeith, Westside, Shandwick, Musselburgh and Stockbridge open at 10am Saturday 18th July.
As the doors reopen, the charity is urging the public to support it by donating good quality items, or by popping in to snap up a bargain. Every item donated or sold will aid the BHF in its recovery from the crisis, which it predicts will cut its net income in half this year.
James Jopling, Head of BHF Scotland, said: “Our shops fund a huge proportion of cardiovascular research, so the reopening of doors is welcome news for our scientists, the 720,000 people living in Scotland with heart and circulatory diseases, as well as our shoppers.
This moment was difficult to imagine just a few weeks ago, and is testament to the incredible commitment of our BHF team of colleagues and volunteers that we’ll be trading in every corner of the country within two weeks.
“But the coronavirus crisis will unfortunately have a long-lasting and devastating impact on charities like ours, with our funding for new research falling by a shocking £50m this year alone. That’s why, not only do we need urgent help from our loyal supporters, we’re also urging the UK Government to ensure funding for vital research charities. For us, it will mean we can protect the progress we have made so far and continue to transform the lives of those with heart and circulatory diseases. It’s ultimately patients who will suffer if this doesn’t happen.
“Our charity shops run purely on the support of the public, which is why we treasure every person who shops with us or hands in a donation. Every item we sell helps fund our vital research and we are so looking forward to welcoming everyone back.”
The BHF says its shops and stores will have new measures in place to keep staff, volunteers and customers safe. This includes social distancing on the shop floor, protective equipment for staff and volunteers, and facilitating contact free collection and processing of donated items.
In line with Government advice and to keep customers safe, all donations given to the BHF will now be rested for 72 hours before being placed on the shop floor. Customers will also be able to donate at new contact-free donation points set up at every BHF shop entrance.
For larger donations to BHF home stores, donors will be able to book a free collection service online from Monday 27th July. All pick-ups will be contact-free. For smaller donations, the BHF has launched a new postal donation service, making it even easier to donate without hitting the high street.
Just £16 worth of donations can support an early career scientist in carrying out an hour’s research and £25 gives a researcher an hour’s access to equipment. If donations raise £100, this would fund a DNA extraction kit to identify genes linked to heart and circulatory diseases.
To find your local BHF shop and details on when it is reopening visit: www.bhf.org.uk/shop
