ADCH 40 Years – Share Your Stories: Woodlands Animal Sanctuary ‘From Crisis to Community’
To celebrate 40 years of ADCH, we invited our members to share their stories, memories, and experiences of ADCH’s impact. Woodlands Animal Sanctuary kindly contributed their story, From Crisis to Community, highlighting their journey and the vital support ADCH has provided along the way.
From Crisis to Community: A Rescue Centre’s Journey
Running a small to medium-sized animal charity is like managing a pressure cooker of contradicting circumstances. Every day brings new life-changing situations, each demanding immediate attention, while resources remain perpetually limited. It’s a delicate balance between the constant drive to do more and the practical constraints of operating on a shoestring budget.
Unlike traditional businesses focused on shareholder value, rescue centres face decisions that literally impact life and death. Success isn’t measured in profit margins but in transformed lives – both of the animals saved and the people who adopt them. Yet the challenge remains: how to sustain operations week to week, let alone plan for the coming months or years?
Growth often comes through serendipity, powered by passionate volunteers and community fundraisers who believe in the mission. The operation typically runs on a combination of dedication and determination, held together by committed animal care professionals and devoted trustees who somehow make it all work.
When the Covid pandemic struck after 15 years of operation, it threw everything into chaos. Our charity’s survival had always depended on community outreach and human interaction for fundraising and support. Suddenly, we found ourselves trying to care for our rescues with minimal staff and no access to our army of volunteers, all of whom were in isolation.
We were truly a desperate charity in need of help.
Finding Support in Unexpected Places
Salvation came through the Association of Dog and Cat Homes (ADCH). What began as a simple engagement in 2019 evolved into a transformative partnership that would see us through our darkest hours.
The ADCH provided crucial guidance on care standards, training frameworks, and administrative efficiency. These improvements gave us the breathing space to focus on our core mission – saving and caring for animals – while operating more effectively than ever before.
But the benefits extended far beyond organisational efficiency. We found ourselves connected to a network of like-minded animal welfare organisations facing similar challenges. Despite social distancing, we discovered a community eager to share experiences, offer support, and work together toward common goals.
Strength in Community
Our first ADCH conference was a revelation. Meeting organisations of all sizes across the animal care spectrum opened our eyes to the power of collective support. While some organisations were larger, with better brand awareness and resources, we learned that we’re all connected. If smaller sanctuaries fail, it creates a domino effect that impacts everyone. The ADCH creates bonds that ensure when one organisation struggles, others step in to help – whether through shared resources, knowledge, or emotional support.
This support proved invaluable during the cost-of-living crisis, when we faced increasing demand for animal rescue alongside rising operational costs and declining donations. Thanks to the efficiency and flexibility we’d developed through ADCH’s guidance, we successfully navigated these challenges and even expanded our operations by launching a charity shop – a venture that has become both a significant income stream and a vital community engagement tool.
Looking Forward
While recent years have presented unprecedented challenges through Covid and the cost-of-living crisis, we’ve emerged stronger and more resilient. At our sanctuary, we can look at the lives we’ve saved – not just the animals, but the positive impact on adoptive families, volunteers’ mental health, and our broader community education efforts – and recognise the invaluable role the ADCH and its community have played in our journey.
This tale of survival and transformation demonstrates the power of community in animal welfare. When rescues unite, share resources, and support each other, we can weather any storm and continue our vital mission of saving lives and creating happy endings for animals in need.
Story kindly submited by Woodlands Animal Sanctuary.
Find out more about them:
http://www.woodlandsanimalsanctuary.org.uk/
Visit their Facebook page
[email protected]
01704 823293
