Andrew, one of our recent donors, tells us below about his experience in donating a car in support of Cats Protection. And, introduces us to two furry friends who were cleverly purr-suasive in finding their new fur-ever home.
I first came across Giveacar ten years ago whilst working for a charity in London, and was responsible for setting up a relationship that has raised several thousand pounds for them to date.
Three years ago, having changed jobs and moved to Hampshire, my wife and I decided that we wanted a cat, and contacted the Ferndown adoption centre of Cats Protection to make an appointment.
Inside the centre are a number of pens, and we decided the best thing to start was to have a look round first. We noticed one particular pair, Trixie and Simba – who had been taken in as a part of a group of 20 cats from someone who decided they needed to reduce the number they had – paying us a lot of attention as we walked around, and eventually they were both standing right at the front of their cage, meowing loudly and pawing at us to get our attention. It seemed that we no longer had a choice, and they had decided to adopt us instead. We completed some paperwork, then had a couple of days to sort out the basics (food, bowls, beds, toys, etc) then we went back to collect them. They are happy ‘indoor cats’, but we have built them a large catio so they have safe access to the outside and lots of things to climb and hide in – whilst also helping keep down the local rodent population as best they can.
Last year, the car which we’d had for 10 years was getting very tired and with 180,000 miles on the clock was no longer cost-effective to get through the MOT. As this was the car in which we’d visited Cats Protection Ferndown, and we wanted to do something good with the old car, it was a no-brainer that we should contact Giveacar and arrange for its scrap value to go to them. All it took was a quick phone call to provide some details and Giveacar did the rest. It is a hassle-free way to turn ‘bangers to cash’ and it’s great to know that your old car is helping raise funds for a cause you wish to support, rather than paying someone for the privilege of taking it away.
As with many charities, Covid has hit Cats Protection hard, and although our car in its scrap condition only raised £75.60 for them (enough to provide initial vaccinations and care for two cats), every little bit helps, and in 2020 they managed to rehome 263 cats. We are pleased to be able to help them continue their great work in 2021.
If you would also like to share your donation story with us please send us an email to support@giveacar.co.uk and we would be happy to discuss this with you.