THE boss of an animal charity will be swapping his bed for Wellington’s High Street in an ‘urgent’ bid to raise funds.
CEO of the Ferne Animal Sanctuary, Kevan Hodges, will spend a week sleeping on the streets to raise awareness of the charity’s dire cash shortfall - and to encourage residents to help them overcome it.
The charity said the stunt would highlight the ‘awful situations’ they often find animals in, before they rescue and re-home them in their sanctuary. The charity currently provides food, shelter and care for more than 300 animals which live in its Blackdown Hills sanctuary.
Mr Hodges will be sleeping rough at a number of locations, including near Wellington’s Ferne Animal Sanctuary charity shop, over the course of a week.
Mr Hodges said: “We sadly rescue hundreds of animals every year, who are often left to fend for themselves in the worst conditions you could imagine.
“On their behalf, I will be sleeping rough for seven nights at seven of our eight Ferne charity shops in Devon and Somerset, to raise vital funds for our surrendered, neglected and abandoned animals. Every donation is a life-saving chance for the animals we care for - thank you for your continued support.”
The charity said all of the funds raised would be directed toward its ongoing urgent appeal, which seeks to raise £100,000 to help it survive the coming months.
Last year Mr Hodges took on a 46-mile hike, which he completed in 20 hours, and raised over £1,700, which funded a dog’s summer house, cat furniture, and a mechanical cat to test the temperament of dogs.
The charity has said if it fails to raise the required funds, it could be forced to close within months, and blamed the crisis on rising utility bills, labour costs - while the level of donations coming in has remained steady.
To support the rough sleeping challenge, you can make a donation via Just Giving at http://www.justgiving.com/page/ceochallenge-2024