## 2022 Annual Report **Summary** This year has been one of our most difficult to date, with a significant drop in funding, rapidly increasing running costs, little to no interest in adoption and a drastic increase in surrender requests. We know this has not been unique to Nibbles, and the effects of the cost of living crisis, compounded by the fall out from the pet boom during the pandemic, has negatively impacted rescues all around the UK, regardless of the species catered for or the size of the organisation. None can remember a worst time and we are all struggling to keep our heads above water and help as many animals as possible. We are over the moon to announce that we have finally completed our rabbit accommodation. Work started in 2017, and the year we thought we would not be working on it, became the year we finished it. All of our buns are enjoying a traditional wet and windy Welsh winter in dry, protected and spacious housing. Seeing the buns, previously housed in hutches, leap with joy brought a much needed bright moment to our entire team. We've welcomed two new staff members and added 2 further volunteers to our welfare team. This year Clare joined us as trustee, as she is regularly on the ground at the centre and has taken on the role of Events Coordinator, taking Nibbles to Cardigan Show in August, Vegfest at Olympia in November and a small number of other local events. We hope to increase the number of events we attend during 2023, to help spread our message of high welfare standards for rabbits and rodents through our Put Welfare First campaign, highlighting the issues rodents and rabbits face in the pet industry. _**Thank you to everyone who has supported Nibbles during 2022 - We couldn't have done it without you all!**_ ## 2022 Annual Report ## The Animals ## **The Figures** Rabbits surrendered into our care: 1 Rodents surrendered into our care: 53 Rabbits transferred in from other rescues: 8 Rodents transferred in from other rescues: 2 Rodents born at the centre*: 0 Rodents transferred out to other rescues: 32 Rabbits transferred out to other rescues: 0 Rodents who died while in our care: 4 Rabbits who died while in our care: 2 Rabbits on sanctuary placements: 10 Rodents on sanctuary placements: 4 Rabbits adopted: 3 Rodents adopted: 22 Animals Returned to our care: 12 ## **Total animals helped: 75 Total animals adopted: 25** _*As a result from animals arriving in our care already pregnant_ We have never experience such low adoption rates in our entire history. This has not been unique to ourselves, but has been felt nationwide as a result of the pet boom during lockdown and the cost of living crisis. Coupled with this drastic drop in adoptions, there has been an even greater increase in the number of animals becoming unwanted, neglected and abandoned. Sadly, many of our animals have been here for over 12 months, with little to no interest. We never give up on finding that special forever home, but without a turnover with adoptions, we have been unable to offer placements to other animals in urgent need. It has been an incredibly difficult year to be involved in rescue. Verbal abuse towards our admin team has drastically increased when we have tried to explain that we are simply unable to cater for any further animals and being blamed for forcing owners into dumping or euthanising animals. We have also seen animals returned into our care due to changes in circumstances as a result of the cost of living crisis and ill health, putting great pressure on our team to provide care to these additional, and unplanned for, animals. We have regularly finished our days in tears and it has been questioned as to whether we can mentally and emotionally continue. Despite the challenges we have faced, we have done everything we can to help as many animals as physically and financially possible. We built further housing to once again become a 'hutch free' rescue after catering for a number of emergencies at the end of 2021. With the low adoption rates, we had no other option but to complete our building work. This also allowed us to take in some additional rabbits urgently in need of help. Elliott was just one of many rabbits who were dumped during 2022. His previous carer was witnessed leaving him behind in a carpark before driving away without a second glance. Thankfully, Elliott is such a friendly chap, he hopped straight over to the witness and was taken to a local vet surgery where he faced euthanasia if no placement was found. We were alerted to his plight and were able to offer him a brighter future only due to our new builds. Elliott remains safe in our care and has been neutered and vaccinated and is now on the search for his forever home. ## Towards the end of the year we were asked to help with 31 mice, after a lady believed she'd been given 4 females. We were shocked on arrival to discover that not only were there 44 in total, but that they weren't actually mice, but in fact Multimammates. We were totally unprepared for Multis who have slightly different needs and drastically different temperaments from mice. We are very grateful to Tiny Paws Rescue who helped organise experienced placements for 32 of them. We have had dad neutered and hope to reintroduce him to his three original ladies and 4 of his remaining daughters. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Mombassa (Dad)
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## 2022 Annual Report Welfare Review This year has seen a number of changes to welfare related policies. We always try to keep up to date with the latest advancements in rabbit and rodent care and welfare, and aim to make appropriate changes to our policies and procedures in line with these recommendations. ## **Changes Made** To neuter all male guinea pigs entering our care and prior to adoption To neuter all male chinchillas, degus and gerbils Providing all guinea pigs in our care with daily fresh veg to enhance vitamin C intake Cutting back on additional extras to our rabbit diets to increase hay consumption Removing hay racks from all of our rabbit housing, to loose feed hay to increase hay consumption Increasing our minimum housing requirements for all species of hamster from 80cmx50cm to 100cmx50cm We carried out a full review of our rabbit diets after being concerned by a drop in hay consumption. It was quickly realised that 'additional extras' had mounted to a inappropriate level and we stripped back the diet to a bare minimum. We also removed all hay racks from our rabbit housing after research indicated that rabbits will consume more hay when fed on the ground as this mimics more natural foraging behaviours. Within days we saw a massive improvement and every rabbit now tucks into their hay for breakfast. Companionship is very important to guinea pigs, to invest in the long-term welfare of every male guinea pig entering our care, we've made it policy to neuter all males. This enables for easier bonding with a female or group of females when they are bereaved from the death of a partner. Later in the year we extended this policy to chinchillas, degus, and gerbils for the same reasons. We continue to look for ways to increase enrichment within the rescue environment, especially with so many animals now spending well over 12 months searching for their forever home. Over the last few months we have been carrying out species specific research, looking for ideas and inspiration to help make their stay more comfortable and enjoyable. During 2023 we are looking to review our minimum adoption requirements for chinchillas, degus, rats, gerbils and mice to ensure continued high welfare standards. We will also be looking at upgrading our housing available to hamsters, mice and gerbils while at the centre to once again improve over all welfare. ## 2022 Annual Report The Welfare Team During 2022, Siobhan and Abi have remained in their roles as Centre Manager and Assistant Manager respectively, and both have continued to donate more hours to the rescue than paid hours. Jessica finished her Level 2 NVQ workplace apprenticeship at the end of June and we said a sad good bye as she headed to pastures new. **----- Start of picture text -----**
apprenticeship at the end of June and we said a sad good bye as she headed to
pastures new.
To provide additional support with the day-to-day care of the animals we
welcomed Jasmine, undertaking a part-time role of 12 hours, across 3 days a week
and Neil, who had been volunteering with us on a Saturday morning for the
previous year, a part-time position of 8 hours, across 2 days of the week. Both on a
12 month contract running from July 2022 - June 2023. We'd originally advertised
for a single position of 12 hours, but after the interview process, we were torn
between Jasmine and Neil and with a rejigging of available funding were able to
offer Neil an additional position to provide extra support with building work and
animal care. Both have settled well into their roles and become valuable members
of our team.
Evelyn, Karen and Clare have remained with us as volunteers during 2022 and we
were thrilled to welcome back Katie on a Saturday morning, after a change in her
work commitments. Katie has helped to provide the manpower needed to cover
the loss of the 4 hours previously provided by Jessica. Hannah joined us on a
Friday morning during her breaks from Uni, and has become a regular face
providing much needed support during these times to allow for staff holidays to be
booked and provide enough cover.
Despite additional staff and volunteers, we are still struggling with the overall work
load of the rescue. Siobhan still regularly spends over 8 hours a day on the laptop,
and Abi additional time on admin working from home on a voluntary basis. We
have been seeking an additional animal care volunteer for Wednesdays since July,
but with no luck, meaning Siobhan has been providing cover and working between
4am-8am on admin each Wednesday.
During 2023 Siobhan and Abi will remain in their roles with a further 12 month
contract, and we will assess funding availability at the end of March in the hopes of
renewing contacts for Jasmine and Neil.
Hannah
Evelyn
Katie Clare
Siobhan
Neil
Jasmine
Karen
Abi
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We would like to thank all our staff and volunteers for the hours they have dedicated to Nibbles during 2022. We simply couldn’t run without their help and support. ## 2022 Annual Report Building A Brighter Future We'd originally planned to place completing our infrastructure on hold during 2022 due to concerns over staffing and reduced funding. However, we entered the year with a number of rabbits in emergency accommodation and with interest in adoption at an all time low, coupled with the huge demand for our services as a result of the pet boom during the pandemic, we had no other option than to address the problem proactively. **----- Start of picture text -----**
problem proactively.
new arrivals.
again!
The Figures
Total funding spent during 2022 as part of our Building a
Brighter Future Project: £4,456.62
Jan 2018
Dec 2022
Jan 2017
Jan 2022
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With such low interest in adoption, it was clear that many of the rabbits in our care would be spending winter at the centre. For this reason we urgently needed to provide them with suitable accommodation, providing sufficient space and protection from the wet and windy Welsh winters. Work started in early July and was completed at the end of October, with our last rabbit being moved out of 'hutch only' accommodation and into a much more suitable enclosure. The new pens range from 5ft x 9ft to 6ft x 10ft in size and all have been lined with PVC sheeting to increase bio security and allow for easy cleaning. We've moved some of our longer stay rabbits into these larger enclosures, opening up a number of our smaller kennel units for new arrivals. We started work on this area back in 2017 and the project has hung over our heads ever since, and many hundreds of hours of back breaking labour has gone into getting our infrastructure completed. Siobhan is very happy to hang up her tools and hopes they will gather cobwebs before they are needed once again! This has brought us to a total of 23 rabbit units, allowing us to house between 23 to 40 rabbits at any one time, and marks a big moment for Nibbles with our housing finally being completed after opening back in 2015. _**We can not thank the Animal Protection Trust enough for their response to our appeal and their kind grant of £4,000 to cover the cost of the materials for our final 8 rabbit units.**_ ## 2022 Annual Report Trustees This year has seen a couple of changes to our team of Trustees. Charlotte left us after a change in her personal circumstances meant she was no longer able to devote sufficient time to the role. Clare, a long term volunteer, joined us to help coordinate and run events to help promote Nibbles to a wider audience. Alan has sadly had to step down at the end of the year due to illness. We enter into 2023 with: ## **----- Start of picture text -----**
Shirley
Rachel
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Siobhan Learmonth – Founder and Chairman Shirley Learmonth – Treasurer Rachel Terry – Secretary Clare Hammond - Events Coordinator Margaret Waller – HR Manager We would like to thank all our trustees for their hard work during 2022 and through their devotion to the charity, we look forward to tackling new projects during 2023. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Margaret
Clare
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## 2022 Annual Report Funding ## **The Figures** One off donations through PayPal Giving: £5,714.84 Funds raised through online events: £154.88 We would like to thank all of our supporters who have contributed to our running costs over the last 12 months. Nibbles is completely reliant on public donations and grant funding to remain open and caring for these generally forgotten about companion animals. It has been an incredibly difficult year with the cost of living crisis hitting and many seeing a drastic rise in the cost of many basic necessities. We have actually run at a loss of £2,085.79 with all of our unallocated reserve funding being placed towards this deficit. Funds raised through grants: £9,000 Total raised from monthly pledges and sponsorships: £8,083.23 Funds raised through other donations: £3,890.60 Funds generated from charity collection boxes: £199.30 Funds raised from AmazonSmile and EasyFundraising: £485.20 Funds generated from adoption and surrender donations: £730.00 Funds generated through sales: £461.83 Employer incentive payment for work place apprenticeships: £1,000 Other Income: £79.00* # **Total Income: £29,828.88** We have seen a rise in monthly pledge donations and sponsorships compared to 2021, rising from £5,219.17 to £8,083.23. This has been coupled with a drop in one-ff donations via PayPal Giving Fund from £9,851.14 in 2021 to £5,714.84 during 2022. In total we have surprisingly seen a £718 increase in public donations compared to 2021. In other funding, we have seen a reduction when compared to 2021, with a drop of £16,265.40 in overall funding, most of which was generated from grant funding (A £9,175 drop was seen during 2022 compared to 2021) and a significant reduction in funding generated from online fundraising events from £7,798.17 in 2021 to £154.88 in 2022. Despite shops reopening, post pandemic, and many returning to 'normal', we actually saw a drop of £19.49 in the income generated from collection pots, despite attending additional events during the year. We did hold a collection day at our local Tescos store in Cardigan during June and raised an incredible £202.37. A total of £485.20 was generated via our supporters using Amazon Smile and Easy Fundraising, an increase of £17.29 compared to last year. This year has been our worst year to date for adoptions and this has been reflected in the funding generated from adoption fees, additional adoption donations and donations made at the time of surrender, dropping by a total of £680, when compared to last year. We have made it through the year by the skin of our teeth and urgently need to address funding for 2023 and prepare for staff salaries during 2024. *£55.00 in interest payments £24.00 in refunds ## 2022 Annual Report Expenditure With the cost of living crisis increasing prices across the board, staff changes and the increase in the number of animals we can house at any one time, we have seen a significant, and concerning, increase in our running costs during 2022 ## **The Figures** Animal Supplies: £4,344.67 Overall, we have seen an increase of £1,026.82 in covering animal supplies, when compared to 2021, despite cutting back where possible on our expenditure. We were forced to cease buying timothy hay for the rabbits at the beginning of the year, due to the concern over rising costs, providing a saving of £497.35 compared to 2021. We also carried out a diet review for our rabbits, removing fibafirst sticks and readigrass in the mornings, now only providing fresh meadow hay in the morning and a small amount of pellets in the afternoon. Even with the additional rabbits we should have broken even, when compared to last year, with the cut backs on supplies. Accessories, repairs, replacements & maintenance: £1,046.86 New Housing: £4,456.62 Salaries: £14,385.93 Vets Fees: £4,786.23 Subscriptions & Insurance: £697.23 We have seen a drastic increase in staff salaries during 2022. This was expected, with an increase in our centre managers annual salary from £2,400 to £5,592 and with the addition of 2 part time staff members, paid at minimum wage, in July. There will be a further rise in the annual centre managers salary during 2023 to £9,612. Despite the significant cost of paid staff, they remain an essential to the smooth running of the charity and ensuring that the animals receive suitable levels of care. Without staffing at this level, we would be forced to close a significant number of our rabbit housing units and our rodent cabin, resulting in a negative effect on our overall impact. Print, marketing & postage: £1,344.82 Other Expenses: £852.31 **Total Expenditure: £31,914.67** We have seen a reduction in the cost of veterinary fees, although this drop is less than we expected with so few animals coming into our care when compared to last year. In addition to this we also received a number of credits to our account as a result of billing errors. This, once again, highlights the increases we have all experienced as a result of the cost of living crisis. Overall, we have seen a £5,946.20 increase in our expenditure compared to 2021. While some of this was expected, and anticipated, the price rises across the board as a result of the cost of living crisis has had an effect on our finances. ## 2022 Annual Report The Figures This year we have really felt the fall out from the pet boom during the pandemic, the lifting of covid restrictions and the effects of the cost of living crisis. We have run at full capacity all year, and have only been able to help additional rabbits as a result of building further accommodation. Our drastic drop in intakes compared to 2021, is the direct result in the massive drop in successful adoptions during 2022. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Intakes
Adoptions
Expenditure
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We were forced to close our waiting list early in the year and have been forced to turn away more animals than ever before. During 2022, we saw only 3 rabbit adoptions and left the year with 2 rabbits on trial pending successful bonding. We have never seen such low numbers since opening in 2015. The vast majority of our rabbits have been with us for over 12 months, some for as long as 2 years. The homes have simply not been there. The cost of living crisis has seen prices rise across the board and this is reflected in the increased cost of animal supplies, despite cutting back on as many items compared to 2021. We have made every penny stretch as far as possible during the last 12 months, without compromising the welfare of the animals in our care. ## 2022 Annual Report The Figures Income and Reserves Income We saw a significant drop in our overall funding when compared to 2021. While a large proportion of this was from grant funding, we also saw a significant drop of over £10,000 in one-off donations and fundraising carried out by supporters. Our only increase has been seen in those signing up to make a monthly pledge or sponsorships, which saw an increase of £2,864. As a result we ran at a loss of £2,085.79 during 2022. We ended the year with £25,795.83 held in our Business Reserve Account, with a substantial amount set aside to cover salaries for 2023 and 2024. With £1,255.43 towards costs such as insurance, software subscriptions, hosting, print and repairs, maintenance and utilities. We ended the year with a balance of £28,456.35, with £25,795.83 of that funding held in our business reserve account. We have two business accounts, one holding funds for day-today running costs and the second holding funds to cover veterinary fees, with £491.04 and £1,321 of our funding held respectively. We also left the year with £769.13 of our funds held within our PayPal account and £79.35 in petty cash. ## 2022 Annual Report Looking to 2023 We are leaving 2022 with serious concerns over funding for 2023 and staff salaries for 2024. We made it through the year by the skin of our teeth. We will be looking at ways to increase funding, including the possibility of opening a specialist rodent and rabbit supplies store ## **Summary** online. Raise the funding required to replace 3 of our older rabbit units which are now rotted beyond repair Look into the possibilities of opening a rabbit and rodent supplies shop to help ensure owners can access suitable and safe products while creating an additional income for the charity Continue to promote high welfare standards for rabbits and rodents, through our Put Welfare First Campaign Despite the massive financial commitment to cover staff salaries, 2022 has once again shown just how valuable paid staff are to our work and, most importantly, to the animals in our care. It is a cost as important as supplies for the animals, as without a reliable team we are simply unable to cater for the number of animals at the centre. Since 2015, Shirley has personally covered all the utility bills for the property as a whole, but with the rising cost of eclecticity this is no longer financially possible. Our rodent cabin is heated, and a dehumidifier is run daily during the winter, along with fans and air con during the summer months. There is also regular weekly use of the washing machine and tumble dryer to wash and dry cage mats, and basic electric for lighting, the boiler in the office, wifi and laptops, all for the sole purpose of the rescue. From February 1st Nibbles will be contributing £50 a month towards the electric bill and this will be reassessed as and when prices change throughout 2023. This has not been an easy decision to make but unfortunately a necessary one. During 2023, we will be focusing on our Put Welfare First campaign to help promote high welfare standards for rabbits and rodents and highlight the multitude of issues they face as part of the pet industry. 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