Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Rescue & Rehoming => The Rescue Room => Help Offered => Topic started by: caledonia on November 26, 2008, 15:46:15 PM
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Hello peeps,
I have been thinking about volunteering for a while and wondered if anyone knew of any places in Edinburgh that need volunteers?
I don't really have access to a car (OH uses it for work) so a lot of the rescues around Edinburgh that are looking for volunteers are not really accesibile by public transport (Lothian Cat Rescue for instance) who I know what volunteers.
I have sent a couple of e-mails and I am waiting to hear back.
I also just called an Edinburgh Rescue, where I got my first fur babe Bertie and well I had just called them and was left feeling a bit like a 15 year old looking for a Saturday job - the lady was a tad dismissive. Just said they were fully staffed and didn't suggest anywhere else, or when they may be looking or others way to help such as fundraising. I realise she was probably a volunteer too but if it wasn't for how much I know places need volunteers through reading on here or on cat chat I would have been really put off to be honest!!
Anyway if anyone has any ideas that would be much appreciated. Maybe Edinburgh is just very lucky for a big city in terms of rescues.
Thanks for reading.
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it can be a bit like that some people treat it like a private club! keep trying I'm sure you'll find someone who appreciates your help
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Oh I wondered lol !!
There is a place just oustide Edinburgh but it is an hour and twenty mins by transport there and then the same back plus a two mile walk through countryside!!
I am considering it, but worry whether at 7am every Saturday morning when I get ready to leave it would seem like such a good idea - it would be six hours every Saturday all in all - half of that being buses!
I will have a think about it - in the meantime any other ideas are welcome! :thanks:
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Personally speaking I'd say it depends what you define as 'volunteering' i.e. what type of thing is it that you are looking to do? cleaning out? grooming? spending time with the cats, fundraising? awareness? etc there are loads of different 'options'.
Find somewhere where you feel you can enjoy volunteering too, so if you want to ask them if you can pop out for a visit to see what it is that they do and how best you can help them and get a feel for the place. If like us, you welcome the help they should bite your arm off! ;)
Good luck ... volunteering can be very rewarding! :)
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I would be happy to do most things to be honest - cleaning out, grroming, spending time with the cats ideally but also happy to do home checks or update pages like cat chat (the rescue that I called only has one line on cat chat for instance - but maybe they don't need that awareness !)
I am not too good at fundraising so that would be my least fav thing to do lol!
I also encouraged my pal to volunteer at her local Cat Protection League as there rescue was at the back of her house - but she ended up in their shop two days a week. I don't think i would be too keen on that purely because I deal with the public every day with full time work and I don't think I could face it on the weekend too!
I actually do loads of volunteerring - have been on the children's panel for five years now, be-friending, youth volunteer, I am on my local neighbourhood council and the community council. However hoping to ease off with the community stuff and have finished up the youth stuff and I realise that finiancially and practically I am pushed to take on a third rescue cat just now so thought the next best thing would be to get involved with a local rescue as a volunteer if possibile!
Will see what comes of my e-mails but going by weather here this morning the two mile trek through open country at 8.30am after a 1 1/2 hour bus journey on a Saturday is not very appealing just now! :'(
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I have to admit the trek doesn't sound appealing! :)
but if you can't find anythign you are welcome to consider us too ;) we're 10 mnis from the bridge by car and direct access by train and also bus from Dunfermline! ;)
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Oh thank you very much - just checked out travel times on trusty traveline - 1 and a 1/2 hours too lol - however no cross country trek at the end lol!!
I think my current dependancy on public transport is the real problem here !!!!!
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it does sound like it! ;) :hug:
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Do you have a spare room for foestering? :shify: - even emergency short-term fosterers are like gold dust.
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I actually have two spare rooms - a large double room and a single room. I had thought about fostering but again the only rescues that seem to need fosterers are oustide Edinburgh!
The one in West Lothian stipulates you need to be based in West Lothian and at home for part of the day and have access to your own transport - I fail on all three counts! I work full time Mon-Thus and whilst OH works night shift and is at home part of the day I still am not based out that way or have own transport! The double room is big though - I have mentioned it in my e-mail to them but I imagine if their vets are in West Lothian there in lies the prob!
The main rescues in Edinburgh are the Dog & Cat home - who I am trying to contact through their forum but waiting for my account to be activated, the Edinburgh cat Protection League who said they are fully staffed and don't seem to foster out and Lothian cat rescue who are the three hour round trip out to the countryside!
Maybe Edinburgh is a city of cat lovers even the re-hmoing ipage for the SSPCA (our RSPCA) web site has no cats for re-homng in Edinburgh, the Dog & Cat home never have any featured and neither does the Edinburgh Cat Protection league!!
Oh I wish I had a car and drove - aim for next summer I think!!! :(
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Yippeee - Just had a lovely lady call me from one of the places that I e-mailed and they may need to use me as a home checker for Edinburgh even though they are outside Edinburgh (but re-home to here!).
They have a monthly meeting so I am invited along for Tuesday - great stuff!
It is a bit of a trek to the meeting but its only once a month and certainly worth going along and seeing what is it all about!
I am quite chuffed now - although phone OH who proceeded to moan his face off as he doesn't understand why I do so much - is is just me or can some folk be a royal pain in the :rofl:!!!
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Just to say went along to the meeting tonight and everyone is LOVELY :wow:
I am pretty chuffed and going to be helping out with a bag pack next week to raise cash - yipee!!!
Thanks for all the previous advice
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great stuff ;)
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glad it went well :)