Prevention Education
Our branch is so passionate about animal welfare education, that we have set up and run our own Prevention Education Initiative.
The aim? To teach and promote welfare, empathy and compassion towards animals, to children from primary school age and beyond.
We believe that sharing engaging materials, activities and stories that promote and explain the value and impact of kindness towards animals is the key to preventing animal cruelty.
If you would like to speak to us about our educational resources and initiative, please give us a call on 0191 380 5636.
The 5 Welfare Wisps
As part of the launch of our education initiative, the branch conceptualised and gave life to our very own animal welfare characters: The 5 Welfare Wisps. Each one of these quirky, colourful and engaging little characters represents one of the five animal welfare headings, Nutrition (Food & Drink), Home, Behaviour, Company and Health. Our wisps help us navigate the, often complex, needs and requirements of good animal welfare in a way that simplifies the core messages and engages a younger audience. In fact, we even wrote and published our very own children’s book, Tot & the 5 Welfare Wisps - a story that follows the journey of an abandoned guinea pig from rescue to rehoming, and all of the animal welfare steps in between. You can purchase a copy for £7.99, here.
The Joanna Toole Foundation Grant - Sammy the Seal
As part of our education work, we were fortunate enough to win a grant from the Joanna Toole Foundation, which has supported us in expanding the Welfare Wisps project as we focus on our coastal wildlife. In particular, the journey of Sammy the seal, and the human impact on our coasts from litter and waste.
With the support from the grant, we have been able to develop a digital school pack which includes numerous lesson plans, presentations, ideas, activities and posters all about how best to care for our coastlines, and lessons on how litter can impact on the environment and marine fauna.
We will be launching this project over 2022/23, by providing 50 local schools with their very own school packs, which will also include a plush seal toy for a take-home activity, and a comprehensive list of teaching resources covering many areas of animal welfare.
Keep your eyes peeled for an official, coastal launch event in the coming year.
Did you know? Our branch receives no government funding, and relies solely on donations, legacies, and grant opportunities to continue our dedicated work. If you would like to support the branch with a monthly direct debit, click here. Or, to make a donation, click here.
To see some examples of donations in action, click here.