The late founder of Raystede, Miss M Raymonde-Hawkins, officially opened the rescue centre in 1952. She was a huge animal lover and took it upon herself to open up her own home and garden to animals that had been abused, abandoned, neglected and also unwanted pets. With time, Miss M Raymonde-Hawkins was taking in animals of all shapes and sizes, her passion to give animals a better life was infectious and soon she had rallied together a number of people who wanted to help her. Some people gave donations which enabled her to build suitable enclosures and buy more land and others gave up their time to help care for the animals.
Now, sixty-six years later, Raystede Centre For Animal Welfare still shares the same passion and goals as their late founder. The site is across 42 acres and provides a safe-haven to domestic animals and wildlife alike. There are two large ponds that provide a home for migrating birds, wildfowl and other wild animals that choose to make Raystede their home.
Education is a huge part of Raystede’s ethos and they are open to the public all year round. Their Education team provide talks, trails and fun activities so families can learn about the best pet care practices and also discover more about the animals that Raystede cares for. Providing knowledge to the pet owners of the future is key to helping give animals a better life now and into the future. It costs £8000 a day to care for all the animals at Raystede so fundraising is extremely important, they rely solely on donations and without the support of people who generously donate it would not be possible for Raystede to continue helping so many animals that have nowhere to go.
The team from TrustedHousesitters were happy to support this vital cause by lending a volunteering hand to help the charity maintain its 43-acre site. Read more about the day.
