Pro-Active Ways of Helping Greyhounds

Included here are some suggested ways in which you can directly assist greyhounds to have a better quality of life. Sponsorship, letter writing, cartridge recycling, buying stuff from Amazon via our site are just some of the ways YOU could make a difference.

Want to Help or just Feedback?

Please send your offers of help or general enquiries to: enquiries@grwe.com

Lobby Your MP Letter Template...

Please help lobby your local Member of Parliament for improved welfare for racing greyhounds. They are there to represent you and your concerns and really can make a difference. It's as easy as 1-2-3! First - find the name of your local MP. Second - add your name & address, insert your MP's name, then copy and paste the letter into a new document (or delete the instruction bits) Third - print, sign and post. Thanks!

How to find your MP: Click here and type in your postcode

LETTER TO YOUR MP:

[insert full name of your MP]
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

Dear [insert name of your MP]

Welfare of racing greyhounds

Next year the Government is committed to introducing new Regulations under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to protect the welfare of racing greyhounds. At least 30,000 greyhounds are on the racing strength at racetracks and every year 10,000 leave racing. Less than half that number are rehomed.

You may recall the disclosures in the Sunday Times last year of the activities of just one man in killing and burying thousands of greyhounds over a period of years. Following those revelations, the Associate Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare (APGAW) in its report in May this year “The Welfare of Greyhounds” said that ‘a minimum of 4,728 dogs are unaccounted for each year and we can assume the majority of these dogs are destroyed’. APGAW went on to recommend independent regulation of greyhound racing with input from animal welfare organisations. This has been vigorously resisted by the greyhound industry which wants to continue to regulate itself at all costs without independent licensing, scrutiny or inspection of greyhound welfare. The Gambling Commission now regulates betting at their tracks.

I hope you will agree that this maltreatment of greyhounds to serve a gambling industry is totally unacceptable in the 21st century and that action is needed now to curtail these abuses. In 2004, bookmakers reported a net profit of £92m a year on greyhound races and with the introduction of the Gambling Act this month and longer opening hours in betting shops, profits are bound to increase significantly. So there is no lack of money in the industry to care for the dogs during and after racing.

I should be glad if you would make representations on my behalf to the Minister for Animal Welfare at the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs that the new regulations under the Animal Welfare Act should require independent governance of greyhound welfare and full involvement of animal welfare organisations in setting standards.

Yours sincerely

A new Tax Effective Way to Donate to Charity...

From April 2004 people who complete a Self Assessment tax return will be able to nominate a charity to receive all or part of any repayment due to them. The new scheme will have real advantages for participating charities:

• The donation will be paid direct to the charity’s bank account.

• The form will incorporate a Gift Aid declaration.

• Gift Aid tax will be paid without the charity having to make a claim.

• For the first time, charities will benefit from Gift Aid on anonymous donations.

Greyhound Rescue West of England is a registered participant. We have a unique reference number, VAB49KG, which tax payers can use to nominate GRWE to receive their tax refunds.

Gift Aid Tax Relief...

Since April 5th 2000 we are able to claim a refund of Tax on all donations and 'Friends' subscriptions. This amounts to 28p in the pound, so £12 becomes £15.36p There is a Declaration Form for you to print out and fill in - just click here. To qualify for Gift Aid, what you pay in income tax or capital gains tax must at least equal the amount we will claim in the tax year.

Make a Donation by Standing Order...

You can now complete a Standing Order and donate a regular amount monthly, quarterly etc., simply by downloading and filling in our GRWE Standing Order Instruction.

GRWE Home Collection Boxes...

Do you save your small change for GRWE? If you do or would like to start then we have a simple collection box for use in the home. The box is small, light weight and costs the charity only a few pence to supply. If you would like one of these then simply send a stamped addressed envelope ( a normal letter size one will do) to:

GRWE Home Collection Box Request, PO Box 3695, Bath, Somerset, BA2 8X

A Will to Help...

If you would like to remember the work of Greyhound Rescue West of England in your Will, then please follow this link for more information and guidance about legacies - thank you.

Sponsor a Greyhound in Need...

We have a number of dogs featured, which are all living in Foster Homes, but need on-going medical treatment or extra care and attention. We are asking for a donation of £12 a year to sponsor a dog and, in return, you will receive a certificate and photo of your chosen dog, as well as Summer and Winter updates about their progress. Sponsoring a dog for someone else makes a wonderful Christmas or birthday present - especially for someone who loves animals, but cannot have a pet of their own. Follow this link for more information and a sponsorship form.

Cartridge Recycling Raises Revenue...

Your used 'original' cartridges (bubble-jet; ink-jet; laser; toner; fax; copier and lexmark), can all be recycled into MONEY for GRWE - so please phone 01234 740328 for your nearest collection point.

The total raised from GRWE's first year collecting and re-cycling used original cartridges is £1,380. Thanks to all who contributed. We hope to raise even more from this excellent re-cycling scheme next year - with your help!

GRWE 50/50 Club...

The GRWE 50 / 50 Club offers an opportunity to have a slight 'flutter', where half the stake money goes to GRWE and the other half is put into a 'pot' for a winner to be announced each month. The more participants, the greater the stake money shared between GRWE and the winners. If you would like a form, click this link. You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to open/print the form.

Make the 'ezegift' Connection...

Anyone thinking of changing their telephone service provider, should perhaps check out 'ezegift' in their investigations. 'ezegift' not only saves you money on every phone call you make, but will also donate 5p in every pound to a worthy cause of your choice. You can see all the details by following this link.

GRWE Fundraising Packs Available...

The packs are designed for use at garden fetes or similar events where our supporterrs want to raise money on behalf of GRWE. The packs contain the following:

An Event Registration Form - complete form and return it to the address provided so that we have a record of your event, the form also provides you with an opportunity to request that your event is registered on our web site (www.grwe.co.uk).

A Transcash Paying In Slip and Banking Instructions - please use this to pay all funds raised into the Greyhound Rescue West of England account. Please note that if you are offered cheques during your event these need to be made out to 'GRWE' and must be returned with the event report form.

An Event Report Form - please use this to inform us of the amount raised and to submit an optional report which we could publish on our web site or in the Greyhound Rescue West of England magazine.

3 application forms to join the Friends of Greyhound Rescue West of England.

3 'Sponsor a Dog' application forms.

3 Legacy information forms

6 ‘Greyhound as Pets’ information leaflets

12 'Greyhound Rescue West of England' Business Cards which can be handed out to provide people with contact information during the event.

A cardboard collection box which you will need to construct and which can be used to collect donations during your event.

2 A4 Posters which you can use to advertise your event.

A paper tablecloth printed with the Charity's logo that you can use to decorate your table or stall.

A Greyhound Rescue West of England 'Can You Help' poster for display at your event.

An Event Questions and Answers sheet and a History of GRWE.

If you would like one of these new Fundraising packs, please click on the name below to email your request to: enquiries@grwe.com

Can You Help with Tombola Items...

Tombola items are always needed in all areas, as the GRWE tombola is very popular at shows and raises lots of funds for us. Popular items include toiletries, chocolates, cards, gift sets, alcohol, speciality teas, confectionery and non-perishable food items. At the moment our stocks are particularly low, so we would really appreciate some kind donations to help us through the forthcoming Summer shows. Please let us know if you can help, or please bring your contribution along to the next GRWE event you attend. Many thanks.