NEUTERING VOUCHERS

[Ela]

Since Friday I have had 29 voucher requests  to take up our offer of cheap neutering/spaying at our vets. A Couple where the cats will not be old enough till next year but I will make sure they or rather their cats get a cheap neuter/spay. Plus a few others that don't really need to take advantage of our offer as their vets is cheapo anyway and the normal vouchers will cover the full cost. There is still over 7½ weeks of advertising so I am hoping record numbers will be 'done'

[Ela]

We do have adverts in the paper about events etc and have to pay for those and also we have for 49 weeks a year a lineage advert about lost/found and neutering in that case we pay foe 10 weeks and then get 3 weeks free. Than again so does everyone else. . Of course as a registered charity we do not have to pay VAT on the advertising so that is a bonus I suppose.

[Mark]

Yet another rescue who shall be nameless have huge pics in almost every week saying what they have rescued that week.

It's the same here - our main local paper is "The proud sponsor of you know who who" - good that they sponsor an animal charity but Sharon has to pay for tiny ads in there. In fact recently a paid ad was put in for a neutering campaign.

[Corporal Smokey]

Radio advertising's not that expensive either. Other branches (e.g. Exeter and Peterborough off the top of my head) have had campaigns done which could be amended at a fairly low cost and licenced to your local station.

PM me if you want to know more.

[Ela]

It's just that I'd make sure my cash flow forecast allowed for the odd contingency and it sounds as if Helen has the same prudent approach.

In reality I know what we can afford and would never overstep the mark. But also in this case it would be false economy not to advertise as the more we can get neutered/spayed hopefully the less we will have in. We can hope can't we.

[Ela]

Ela could you not ask the newspaper to do a feauture and save £400 advertising?

I wish, the £400+ is for an  advert for 8 weeks running. Our local paper would not even give us a free linage never mind a write up. Yet another rescue who shall be nameless have huge pics in almost every week saying what they have rescued that week.Yet us who help loads every day the local paper does not want to know. Then again I have been told that the editor is on the committee of the rescue. Don't know if that is true or not.

[Ela]

how many takers do you usually get for these kinds of things Ela?

When we have a months campaign usually well over 100

[Dawn F]

that's a good idea T, perhaps from the credit crunch people can't afford neutering angle???

[Christine (Blip)]

f I were your treasurer, Ela, I would always ensure I kept a little in the pot for your 'surprises' and I bet Helen does the same

As a charity we are   accountable to our HQ and the Charities Commission we put every penny (literally) we are given through the books, we are squeaky clean. 

Oh of course, I was certainly not suggesting otherwise.  It's just that I'd make sure my cash flow forecast allowed for the odd contingency and it sounds as if Helen has the same prudent approach.  It was a compliment 

[Teresa Pawcats]

Ela could you not ask the newspaper to do a feauture and save £400 advertising?

[Dawn F]

how many takers do you usually get for these kinds of things Ela?

[Ela]

f I were your treasurer, Ela, I would always ensure I kept a little in the pot for your 'surprises' and I bet Helen does the same

As a charity we are   accountable to our HQ and the Charities Commission we put every penny (literally) we are given through the books, we are squeaky clean.  But that does not in reality mean we cannot help the cats in anyway we wish. Helen is a fantastic treasurer and we are lucky to have her.

[Christine (Blip)]

If I were your treasurer, Ela, I would always ensure I kept a little in the pot for your 'surprises' and I bet Helen does the same 

Well done to all of you 

[Ela]

I have almost used up this years £15000 allowance (plus the odd thousand or two I have asked  HQ for over the year for feral situations) in fact once all the outstanding vouchers have been sent in by vets I will have gone over the allowance and then the money has to come out of branch funds and there is still 3 months to go. Anyway our vet rang and asked if we would like a neutering campaign. (that is a person pays £5 although we often pay that as well, we give the vet a voucher and also the vet reduces the charge by quite a bit as well) I jumped at the chance then thought our treasurer will kill me,  but never mind I can take it.  Then the vet said we could have a two month campaign. I thought not only will Helen kill me she will do worse,    so I contacted CP HQ and they have kindly given me another £2000. Although that will not hopefully cover all I need it will help. I think I will tell Helen tomorrow (it never comes ) I need just over £400 to pay for 8 adverts in the paper. In all honesty she doesn't  mind or at least she does not say she does. As we all know neutering/spaying plays a very important role in rescue.