South Coast & East Sussex volunteer network (2023)

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Established for 5 years, this facebook group is where our work originates.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/385523575455222/?ref=share_group_link

We are a small and private non-profit volunteer group who, in the warmer months, work where we can to assist the public with rescues. We do not classify ourselves as a rescue group as this adds pressures at times where the voluntary sector right now is struggling with the current cost of living crisis. Our priority and chief aims are focused mainly upon pigeons and gulls (but are always able to help or refer with other casualties albeit remotely) as these birds continue to be further under represented. Unless it cannot be avoided, we also operate a no kill policy as every life matters, and have been thankful enough to work with great rehabbers and sites both in and outside Sussex. The latter became necesssry owing to the outbreak of Avian flu last year. We took on a great team of fosterers and all of us took in an endless amount of baby birds into our gardens and into strict quarantine. It was an exhausting process, but by the end of the season we were pleased to learn our stringent isolation proceedures prevented any spread of the virus and so many of our birds, disabled or able bodied, are now flying free or living their best lives in different areas of the South of the UK. ☺ thanks go to so many supporters who stood by us and who understand the work that we do.... inspite of situations and irritants that we could have done without, it did not affect our work.

Our group is fronted and assisted by those who have dedicated their full time into advising and conducting rescues. The experienced staff include two full time managers, several vets, a vegan businesswoman and activist, the owner of a cat charity, the owner of a dog training business plus an amazing team of publicists up and down the UK. Others included the kind offers of fosterers who kindly stepped in to ease the burden of what was a very challenging and full on year.

For 2024. We do have an ongoing need for VOLUNTEER DRIVERS/RESCUERS in Sussex, so please do ask.

If you are involved purely for the love of helping and can work as part of a team, we would love to hear from you.

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In the recent past, our fundraisers have supported not just the teams living costs from housing birds at home through to petrol from driving to different locations, but to various sites across the UK who had it far worse than we did. Some sites in Sussex that we advocate, and we have also help fund materials for sites to expand upon their isolation units for 2023. This is coming along very well. We will continue to help these sites going into this season.

We are now an Independent voluntary organisation. All our volunteer staff are from highly respectable backgrounds. We do not accept or tolerate abuse, which includes trolling and cyber bullying of any of our members. We are very protective of our rescues and many were not helped in the last couple of years, in part because of the above. This is unacceptable.

Thank you to our supporters, online, across the UK, beyond and in person.

♥