Do you Volunteer for a Wildlife/Animal Rescue Charity?

[dogstarheaven]

i want to help a charity out in my local area and also give a one-off donation but i'm torn between the Animal Rescue Unit and the the Wildlife Trust. There are lots of animal charities i'd want to support but i can't choose anything that's specific to my heart as all forms of living organisms are precious to me. How do you choose when everything is threatened by the destruction of mankind?

xx

[charlieb]

Depends on "how big you think".

Animal Rescue Units saves the animal with a broken leg, the Wildlife Trust saves the species with a broken habitat.

Although the number of animals "rescued" is probably insignificant, the information gained on behaviour and biology isn't.

[Paul mabbott]

The best organisation to support is the Woodland Trust - it will use your money to buy, create and maintain woodland throughout the country, thus providing habitat for all animals and plants ..... No contest!

Originally Posted by dogstarheaven

i want to help a charity out in my local area and also give a one-off donation but i'm torn between the Animal Rescue Unit and the the Wildlife Trust. There are lots of animal charities i'd want to support but i can't choose anything that's specific to my heart as all forms of living organisms are precious to me. How do you choose when everything is threatened by the destruction of mankind?

xx

[Ukwildlifeo]

I imagine you will get lots of answers, but I'd personally go for wildlife trust since they look after the habitat and there would be no wildlife without any habitat. But I guess it depends if you think animal welfare or conservation is more important, which is a long ethical road with a lot of debate.

Ive volunteered for the wildlife trust and know they do good work but cant comment on animal shelters/hospitals except Ive heard many good things. Hmmm I think Ive been no help at all!

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

The best organisation to support is the Woodland Trust - it will use your money to buy, create and maintain woodland throughout the country, thus providing habitat for all animals and plants ..... No contest!

Why would you say they are better than the say the Wildlife trust or the RSPB for example?

[Picidae]

Personally, if it was a toss up between the two, I'd make a donation to the Animal Rescue charity. These smaller charities are seriously struggling at the moment and yet they do vital work on the front line where animals are suffering and in pain, desperately needing assistance, many of whom don't get the help they need in time. I've often had to contact animal rescue groups and every time the story's the same, they are run, more often than not, entirely by volunteers, many of whom donate their own funds to keep the charity going. Many of these smaller animal charities have folded over the past few years as a result of recession and increasing demand/higher fuel prices for ambulances etc.

The WT is an excellent charity but popular and receives lots of funding. It's the largest UK voluntary organisation (47 Wildlife Trusts in the UK) and has lots of resources - if you are aware of a small rescue charity that needs support, please consider that as an option to give a one off donation. You can always join the WT in your area in addition to this and offer to volunteer for them (the smaller rescue charities probably wouldn't be able to offer you volunteering anyway).

[pressld2]

I too would go for the wildlife trust and would also look for a local project that has a "Matched funding" arrangement, like this one for Blean Woods in Kent: Blean Woodxe-xeKent Wildlife Trust Every £1 donated by the public is matched by a further £20 from other organisations, including the Heritage Lottery Fund and other charitable trusts. And don't forget to sign a gift-aid form if you are a tax payer, so the charity will also get the tax you paid on the cash when you earned it.

Dave P.

[tom00_uk]

i help out with the Yorkshire wildlife trust

[Elevate29]

I agree with Picidae... the smaller wildlife hospitals & rescue centres are often critically under funded and even a small amount of support would make a huge difference to them. Organisations such as Wildlife Aid and other small operations are really struggling right now with many closing down at an alarming rate.. leaving very few options when it comes to wildlife rescue and many don't have the fundraising power of the larger charities.

Elevate