Labour Councillor for West End Ward, City of Westminster, Jessica Toale, has started the New Year with her first visit to Mayhew. As part of her tour, Councillor Toale learned about the breadth of our work across five boroughs in London and internationally.

Vital services

Councillor Toale was shown some of the important services we offer pet owners. This ranges from our Community Vet Clinic which provides free of charge preventative veterinary care to Individual Care Packages which contain key items pet owners may be struggling to afford.

Councillor Toale was especially keen to understand more about our Pet Refuge programme that provides shelter and care for the pets of people unexpectedly and temporarily unable to care for their pets, and TheraPaws, an Animal Assisted Intervention programme designed to promote physical, social and emotional wellbeing.

The importance of volunteers

Speaking about the visit, Councillor Toale explains, “One of the things that really came to light during my visit to Mayhew was how integral volunteers and volunteer foster carers are to the charity’s work – they are a key part of the team and they are needed and valued now more than ever. Without support from volunteers Mayhew cannot hope to help dogs and cats in need in London to receive the care, support and love they deserve through these tough times, which are unlikely to improve any time soon. Volunteers are an incredible force for good, delivering real impact that makes a lasting difference. I cannot urge people enough to reach out and see how they can help charities like Mayhew by volunteering their time and skills.”

She continues, “I was astounded to hear that it costs over £6,000 a day to operate Mayhew and deliver its vital services when Mayhew is almost entirely funded by donations and struggling to meet soaring demand for its services.”