## 2020 - 2021 TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT CAT CHAT, the Cat Rescue Resource Registered Charity no 1100649 Address: PO Box 358 Ramsgate, Kent CT12 6YP **TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT for the financial year 8.6.20 - 7.6.21** ## **THE CHARITY’S OBJECTIVES ARE:** ## **CAT CHAT 2020-2021 ANNUAL REVIEW** 1. To promote the efficiency and effectiveness of charities whose purposes are to promote animal welfare, by the provision of an internet website, IT support and facilities. 2. To advance the education of the public in matters of animal welfare by the provision of a website and information service. ## **Public Benefit Statement** Cat Chat is committed to assisting members of the public in all matters relating to cats, cat rescue and cat welfare, and the advancement of public education through our website information, forum, helpdesk, social media pages, and via our qualified advisors. The charity’s trustees confirm their due regard to the public benefit guidelines published by the Charity Commission. ## **Introduction and Background** The Trustees of Cat Chat present this review of the financial year June 2020-June 2021. This period saw the charity continue to overcome the challenges of Covid 19 and its impact on the rehoming sector. It also marked the successful conclusion of “Twenty for 2020” - Cat Chat’s special 20th Anniversary homing campaign. Another notable achievement is an impressive 100% growth in monthly visits to our website - averaging 1.4 million web page views each month. The charity’s print and broadcast media profile was also enhanced, by being featured in The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, Evening Standard and on regional radio. ## **Governance** Cat Chat is led by a board of eight trustees. During this financial year there were eight full trustees’ meetings, all of which were held online in accordance with Covid 19 restrictions. Specific services offered by Cat Chat for the benefit of the public are: ## **Finances** 1. A comprehensive area-by-area database of cat rescue and rehoming facilities in the UK and Ireland. 2. Provision of a public database of cats needing homes, searchable by county / town / shelter. 3. Advice and information pages e.g. health & behaviour, lost - & found, neutering, fostering, rehoming. 4. Veterinary and behavioural advice; our qualified volunteer advisors assist the public via email with specific - (non-urgent) advice. 5. Helpdesk: our email helpdesk offers advice to the public on all other cat related issues. Trustees are pleased to note that the charity’s finances remained stable, although there has been some reduction in overall income. Cat Chat received a modest legacy, and continues to benefit from online initiatives such as its own Webshop, eBay and Easyfundraising. However, financial stability remains underpinned by the generosity of our regular donors, led by the Friends of Cat Chat, and our loyal page sponsors: Burns Pet Nutrition, The Cat Gallery, CEVA Animal Health, Erin House, FindPetBoarding, HiLife Petfoods, Kitty Collars, MDC Exports, MPM Products, Pets Reunited and Protectapet. In addition, the Cat Gallery in York once again nominated Cat Chat as one of its chosen charities and we are especially thankful to their customers for their generous donations. 6. We maintain active social media pages, as well as a - carefully moderated public forum enabling the provision and exchange of advice and information on a wide range of cat related issues. 7. A web-links directory covering pet help & services, pet - health & behaviour, pet care, plus an A - Z of rescue organisations helping a wide variety of animals. ## **Covid 19 - Impact on Homings: Special Covid Initiatives** Since the first Covid 19 lockdown, and throughout this reporting year, Cat Chat maintained its Coronavirus information web pages, publishing daily updates and advice for cat owners and rescue centres. With news collated from government, veterinary and other sources, Cat Chat became the go-to place for information. Cat Chat also published bulletins for shelters covering issues such as no-contact homing and emergency funding sources. As well as collaborations with the larger rehoming organisations, Cat Chat continued to provide a vital life-line to the myriad of independent rescues across the country, many of whom rely completely on Cat Chat’s site to promote their cats. Prior to Covid shelters were full across the country, but as demand for companion animals increased, Cat Chat was ideally placed to promote cats in rescue. Throughout 2020 / 2021 the charity encouraged the As always Cat Chat looks ahead. We never lose sight of our vision statement... ## _“ ”[Helping Cats out of Shelters... into Homes]_ ## **Some of the cats homed, thanks to our special 20th Anniversary campaign** **BT & Sabrina, from Cat Rescue West Wales** Happily homed after more than two years in rescue. “Thanks so much for helping to get them homed. We are so pleased for them, finding a wonderful home together”. public to view cats online at CatChat.org, with a view to adopting once restrictions allowed. Many cats were viewed, reserved and adopted as a consequence. The number of adoptions rose so significantly that by the Spring of 2021 many shelters were reporting having some empty pens for the first time in years. ## **Cat Chat’s 20th Anniversary** This milestone in Cat Chat’s history provided an opportunity to highlight achievements and to promote the importance of adopting. The “Twenty for 2020” campaign was a year long rolling initiative to find homes for the 20 cats (or pairs) across the UK who had been in rescue the longest. Masterminded for Cat Chat by Miranda Luck, a respected PR within the animal welfare sector, the campaign proved a huge success. Endorsed by an impressive line up of celebrities including Ian Anderson, Rupert Fawcett, Vicky Halls, Sir David Jason, Ian Lavender, Deborah Meaden, Suzi Perry, Angela Rippon and Dr Pete Wedderburn, “Twenty for 2020” gained significant coverage across all media platforms. Best of all, and despite the difficulties of running such a campaign through a pandemic, by February 2021 some 27 of the UK’s longest staying rescue cats were rehomed directly due to the campaign. Cat Chat is very grateful to all the shelters involved, and to the celebrities who so kindly gave their names to this campaign. ## **Partnerships and Other Collaborations** Cat Chat’s partnerships across the animal welfare community continued during 2020/2021 as information sharing and other communication remained critical during the pandemic. Cat Chat is particularly grateful to Cats Protection which gave prominent editorial support during our 20th Anniversary year. Another valued ongoing partnership is with Radio Caroline. The station has regularly donated additional plays of Cat Chat’s commercials and assisted with the creation of special Covid related ads. Our newest partnership is with Blush.net. As Cat Chat is web based, maximising our reach online is key to achieving our aims and Blush has greatly improved the effectiveness of our Google ads. Blush.net are now generously, and to great effect, managing Cat Chat’s Google Grants Account. Cat Chat’s highly successful series of blog posts has also seen collaborations with a number of respected organisations including International Cat Care, The Cinnamon Trust, and The Veterinary Content Company. ## **Thanks and Acknowledgements** Cat Chat would like to take this opportunity to give special thanks and acknowledgement to the work of its Volunteers, Trustees and Patrons, all of whom generously donate their time and skills. **Oscar, from** **Independent Cat Rescue, Manchester** Perky, pensioner puss Oscar had been in care over six months. Thanks to Cat Chat’s campaign, Oscar’s wish to find a mature cat-loving, indoor home to call his own was finally granted! **Prince, from Thanet Cat Club, Broadstairs** After two years in rescue, Prince found the perfect home thanks to Cat Chat’s campaign. “His adopters love him and he settled more or less straight away. It’s as if he has always lived with them!” ## **2020-2021 STATISTICS** ## **Shelters, Visitors, Followers** - 1,368,293 Monthly number of website pages viewed (average) 315,376 Monthly number of visitors to the website (average) 1,148 Shelters listed - 429 Active individual shelter’s homing pages 9,982 Facebook followers (at year end) 2,889 Twitter followers (at year end) 662 Instagram followers (at year end) ## **Admin, Volunteers, Trustees, Patrons** - 2 part-time staff / 1 web developer 1 PR consultant (for 20th Anniversary projects) - 22 full volunteers (excl. trustees & staff) 5 casual volunteers 8 Trustees 3 Patrons **Governance** **Some of the well known supporters of our ‘Twenty for 2020’ campaign** Governing Document: Constitution dated 29 October 2003 ## **Patrons:** **Suzi Perry** “Cat Chat is a lifeline to rescues and I’m pleased to be able to help, particularly with cats that have spent way too long in rescue. By highlighting these deserving cats to a greater audience, we aim to find them a home where they can flourish.” Suzi Perry, television presenter **Ian Anderson** “We, the Anderson family, have reared 25 feral cats and kittens over the years. Some are still with us today. If you can commit to providing a long-term home for a shelter cat, please visit the Cat Chat website.” Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull Sir Roger Gale MP, Lady Suzy Gale, and the Postgate Family representing Bagpuss ## **Trustees:** Mrs M Ovens (Chairman) (appointed 13.12.05) Ramsgate, Kent Mrs M Bull (appointed 18.03.08) Ramsgate, Kent Mrs J Love-Hinsley FCCA (Treasurer) (appointed 13.12.05) Grove Ferry, Kent Mrs A James (appointed 13.05.08) Whitstable Kent Mrs L Kennett (Minutes Secretary) (appointed 11.10.11) Folkestone, Kent Miss M P Cotter (Co-Founder) (founded 08.06.00 / trustee from charity registration 12.11.03) Ramsgate, Kent Ms L Mahmood (Social Media Co-ordinator) (appointed 03.12.14) Staplehurst, Kent Mr S L Wise (Co-Founder) (founded 08.06.00 / trustee from charity registration 12.11.03) Ramsgate, Kent ## **ACCOUNTANT/TREASURER** **Independent Accounts Scrutineer** Ms Z Tudor CIMA 29 Canterbury Road East Ramsgate. Kent CT11 0JX Mrs Jaine Love-Hinsley FCCA Grove Ferry Inn, Grove Ferry Road, Upstreet, Canterbury, CT3 4BP The Trustees declare this to be an accurate report of the activities of Cat Chat for the financial year ended 7 June 2021. SIGNED ON BEHALF OF THE CHARITY’S TRUSTEES MRS. M. OVENS (CHAIR) DATE………………..... ……………………………………………….. MRS J. LOVE-HINSLEY (TREASURER) **Vicky Halls** “One of the saddest things I see are cats that have been in homing centres for months, even years. I fully support the endeavours of Cat Chat to give the overlooked cats a voice. Please help these cats by offering a home.” Vicky Halls, cat behaviourist & author DATE…………………. ……………………………………………….. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Cat Chat, the Cat Rescue Resource
Registered Charity no. 1100649
Website: www.catchat.org
**----- End of picture text -----**
In rEn 21 Income Adverlisinglsponsorship 2.450.00 Profiton Sale of Merchandise 2,150.37 Donations Legacy Donations Totsl Donations 28,210.50 6,344.06 34.554.56 Bank Interest 424.68 Total Income 39,579.61 Less Expendlture Wages, National Insuran￿ and Pension 18,053.74 Website and Charity Development 11.609.67 Telephone 399.88 Donations 451.48 Advertising & Sponsorship 1.354.04 Internet and Webserver 7.355.93 Postage, Prlntlng & Statlonery 2.083.55 Travel Expenses Consultancy and Professional Fees 4.124.00 EquipmenVRepairs and Maintenance 76.99 So￿are Fees 902.36 Insurance Costs 331.62 Paypa1￿ank Charges 421.09 General Expenses 731.98 47,896.33 Depreciation of Equipment 301.06 48,197.39 Proflt for the Year ,617.78 Flxed Assets Office Equipment At Cost 4,424.70 4,424.70 Less Depreciation to Date 3,442.39 3,442.39 982.31 CurrontAssets Stock of M8rchandis8 Balance at Bank Cash in Hand Sundry Debtors 2,544.88 102,809.42 81.14 811.06 106,246.50 Loss Current Uabllltlos Sundry Creditors 935.45 105.311.05 Capital Account Capital Account 114,911.14 Profitfor the year -8,617.78 106 293.36 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner s Report c> (If wry) chwity (Ihe Tn￿) f￿the ye* R•sponslbllilies and As ctority trustees of the Tr￿ ¥e resFKYth ffx the pretwa 2011 (Ihe Acr). urKlw seC1K￿ 145 (rfthe 2011 Act in wyirvJ cart my examinat￿, I - • Mler 145(5Xb) ACL Independent the examinatK￿ wlxchgves mec￿¥8 to ￿leY8 that in. ￿Y matenal Act or s￿ned. Rel•vant profwslonal quallficadon(8) or body rrf any): CTN TV IER October 2018 Section B Disclosure Orty exwnww to trw*liJM mths of ccffKwn (see CC32. examw5). Gfve here brlof dotalls af IER Iktobor 2018