The Farmhouse

Fen Bank, Friskney

Lincolnshire

PE22 8PS

Tel: 01754 820593

Tel / fax: 01472 822979 

Newsletter

Winter 2008                                                  The Archives

Yet another year has almost passed, and the Turkey and Tinsel and the joy that was the Fen Bank Christmas Party is beginning to fade in the memory.

Happily a few of our most deserving dogs spent Christmas on a warm and comfy bed in some of the 116 permanent homes that were found for them by Jenny and her Team during 2008 and for the very few that were returned we did our best to ensure that their Christmas was a happy one. This year the traditional Turkey on Christmas Day was supplemented by some generously donated scotch beef joints and an enormous ham - so they really did have a feast. Our next door neighbour Pauline came to walk the dogs with Jenny and the team, so in many ways, Christmas was a “normal” day - but with culinary extras - and loads of tinsel!

The Christmas Party which is now something of an institution raised just over £1700 which was a fantastic surprise given that we started from the premise that we wanted to give something back to our supporters with a guaranteed to win Bottle stall and an equally generous Christmas Present Tombola! Everyone had a lovely time, the dogs were delighted to see “old” friends and we were able to put in touch people who lived near to each other but had never met before.  Yet again, people came from far and wide and Ruby’s owner had actually travelled up from Cornwall! We had a huge range of dogs from Mabel and Grace at 14 months up to 13 plus - dear old “Em” who is tottering gracefully towards the end of her life, but with huge spirit and it was lovely to see her and her owners Fred and Hazel there. The Auction raised a splendid £700 of the final total raised. We owe a huge thank you to Jill and her team of volunteers for organising the event, to Wendy from the shop for supplying many of the prizes, to Shaun and Grace who made fabulous Christmas Cakes that raised £40 in the Auction, to John Bright who donated two stunning Greyhound wine glasses which also raised £40,and to the gentleman from Norfolk who gave us not one, but two  beautiful Dolls Houses to Auction, to Gaynor for wrapping everything in Christmas paper and supplying the doggy take home bags, to Janice, Rob and Rita , Bill and Margaret for running the stalls, Wendy Gill and Sylv and their friend for always doing the refreshments for us, to Janet for decorating the hall, and special thanks to Daphne Ledward for being Mary Christmas with Paddy as Santa Paws, and to Shaun who dropped in and was  corralled into being Santa because the outfit was too small for Jenny’s husband to get into!!

Christmas brought an enormous postbag of wonderful cards and letters and donations too, for which we are very very grateful- and just in case I missed somebody out- THANK YOU to all who sent donations. Your support is vital to us, and we try very hard to spend every penny wisely and well and always for the dogs.

I am writing this on New Year’s Eve, and I am reminded that 13 years ago also on New Year’s Eve, I sat in my kitchen  in Chislehurst in Kent writing an article for the local paper on the plight of Greyhounds and quite literally prayed that one day I could find somewhere permanent  for the thirty rescued dogs I then had in other people’s kennels. After over a year of searching I found the Farmhouse at Fen Bank and The Sanctuary was born! I brought up 15 dogs, having managed to home the rest in the interim and advertised for my first kennel Manager. Mandy Hooker answered the advert and set about homing my dogs and taking others in. With the help of our Patron and wise advisor, Mary Evans, in our first year we homed 6 dogs, and a few more in the second year. Then Mandy left to set up Northants RGT Kennel and I took over the kennels fulltime, and year on year the numbers  at Fen Bank have climbed steadily, and now it is really hard to stay in touch with everyone, but thanks to Jenny and her team we manage it. But we could do none of this without the wonderful owners who take on our dogs and yet again we thank you all, and all the people who support us.

So what has been happening? Dog wise, we are Henry Ford re-incarnated practically every dog in the kennel is BLACK! We have taken to putting name tags on collars for the sake of volunteers who unsurprisingly can’t tell one from another at first glance- to be truthful, unless it’s a “character”, an old timer or someone with a distinguishing mark, neither can I! But there are some gorgeous dogs in at the moment and we hope to fill up again with at least one or two of other colours!

In terms of people I think we probably have the best team at Fen Bank that we have ever had. Jenny is a whizz at finding just the right people for the right dog, helped by Shaun and Julie who have dog sense dripping out of their fingertips. Sadly we have temporarily lost the services of Tim and Grace both of whom have  either primary or secondary health problems, and we are aching to have them back, the dogs miss them, we miss them – and because they are the people they are, they have both managed to do things for us, even when their own lives are very difficult.. We also have a dedicated band of volunteers, Janice, Pam, Hilary, Mary and Deidre, all of whom have been with us for a long time and who love the dogs as they love them. Somebody said to me the other day that Fen Bank was there for the dogs, not the people who work there, and I have just realised how very untrue that is, of course the dogs always come first and that is what makes Fen Bank unique. There is no-one who is not totally dedicated to the dogs- and those that have not been, have not lasted very long. We are always frantically busy, but within that, a network of supportive friendships have flourished and the dogs have helped many people over the years to come to terms with personal problems.  We have had young troubled lads who have come out of their shells and changed their lives, because of what Fen Bank is, and older people too who have found a purpose and sometimes a solution to their problems- greyhounds heal-just by being themselves when surrounded by people who love them. Whoever first said “All Greyhounds have been kissed by Angels” knew them very well indeed.

But without our Charity Shop we could not have grown as we have, and Wendy Joiner who is one of the most selfless people  I think I have ever met, has worked tirelessly for the dogs since 2002 when she saw an article in the paper about us, and said she wanted to help- and her help is invaluable as are her team of volunteers who have raised thousands of pounds for the dogs since she first badgered me into taking on a Charity shop- and that too is a place where people come to meet and chat and support each other- as well as buying, selling and donating things! The sum total of any organisation is the people who contribute to it! We are very fortunate.

Then there are the Trustees- and a huge and public vote of thanks to Gerald Pullum, who although not a Trustee for some time has been a fantastic Treasurer for the past several years and has now passed this mantle onto Jill Kirby who is ably following in his footsteps. Stella, Gerald’s wife seems to have been our “hands on kennel Trustee “since time immemorial and we have hundreds of reasons for thanking her for dropping everything and driving 120 miles on countless occasions to help us in a crisis! Graham Fountain, a long time Fen Bank dog owner has taken on some administration which badly needed doing and is our Vice Chair and a very safe pair of hands indeed. Joyce Owen and Denise Clark who between them look after our Sponsorship programme and have three of our dogs- all of whom were desperately in need of a home, and Bill Simpson who has taken on the Chairmanship and is the Fire-fighter and PR person for the Trustees.

So there is the Fen Bank Team, and its most important members, the dogs.

Our Sponsor dogs are getting on now, and both Jack and Woody have been ill, Jack has recovered, but Woody is not looking good and he is such a dear old man now, and weighed down by his years. The girls, Honey and Di, are touch wood, holding their own and are as bright as ever.

Buster and Breezey are STILL with us, its year two now and they really do need a home together.

Charlie has found a lovely home and a new identity for himself, he really has landed on his paws!

Joey has been fostered by a saint who has had a real tussle with his unpredictable bladder, but has now got the better of it- he was always lovely, thanks, Joy for going the extra miles!!

Black Molly who has turned out to be real sweetie still languishes in kennels, after over 18 months, and still needs a home.

Jodie a cat friendly but troubled little girl who needs someone with her all the time is desperate for a home with a patient and understanding owner.

Lady, our dear 7 year old, has found a truly forever home, but Dandy her long term kennel mate is left behind in kennels- and he is a lovely boy.

Andy and Angelica are still waiting- both are lovely dogs and came to us from Cork Animal Rescue.

Jack and Badger two of the nicest dogs in the kennel are just waiting for you- one sweet and shy, the other large, soft and an elderly five.

Spotsy too needs a home desperately as he came in from one and was very much loved.

There are so many other deserving dogs- do come and see us- you will get a warm welcome!

Sandra Davis, Founder, FBGS.