2025-12-31-accounts

2025 Annual Report Summary for 2025

Since our funding crisis began in 2022, each year has felt harder than the last — and 2025 was no exception. For much of the year, Nibbles Rodent & Rabbit Rescue lived under the very real possibility that we would be forced to close and dismantle the centre in December. Every decision was made against a backdrop of uncertainty, with the constant fear that we may no longer be able to provide rescue support for rabbits and rodents at their most vulnerable.

Alongside this, 2025 brought unexpected staffing challenges that required rapid adaptation to ensure animal care standards were not compromised. It was a year marked by worry, stress, and exhaustion, driven by the deep concern that these oftenoverlooked animals could once again be left without specialist rescue support in South West Wales.

And yet, 2025 was also a year of important — if hard-won — progress.

Through a consistent, carefully planned campaign, we were able to raise not only vital awareness of the rescue’s situation, but also enough regular monthly funding to secure Nibbles’ future into 2026. This shift has allowed us to move away from emergency survival mode and into a cautious, planned period of stability. While we continue to operate at reduced capacity, we now have the breathing space and time needed to rebuild, plan, and grow responsibly.

Over the course of the year, we also developed new skills — particularly in digital engagement and communication — and laid the foundations for welfare work that extends beyond the centre itself. In 2025, we took on a major challenge that we are determined to continue into 2026: working towards meaningful, lasting improvements in rabbit welfare across Wales. We ended 2024 exhausted and fearful for the future. We leave 2025 still tired, but no longer without hope. With careful management, sustained support, and the dedication of our team and community, we believe Nibbles can move beyond simply surviving and begin to show real progress across all areas of our work. We are deeply grateful to everyone who stood with us and made this possible.

2025 Annual Report The Animals

Much of 2025 was shaped by uncertainty. With the future of Nibbles unclear for a large part of the year, we had to be extremely cautious about accepting new arrivals. We were acutely aware that, should closure become unavoidable, we would need to secure rescue placements for the rabbits already in our care — a responsibility made even more difficult by the fact that rescues across the UK are under immense strain.

The Figures

Rabbits surrendered into our _ care: 8 a

Rodents surrendered into our care: 0

Rabbits transferred in from other

Despite this, we were able to help more rabbits than in the previous year, supported in part by the fact that seven rabbits found their forever homes during 2025. This allowed us to carefully offer places to rabbits in urgent need, while continuing to prioritise stability and welfare.

Animals Taken In

During 2025, 11 rabbits were welcomed into our care. Each intake was considered carefully, balancing the needs of the individual rabbit against the wider responsibility of safeguarding those already at the centre.

One of the most significant arrivals came in May, when Bridget and her five babies were admitted in a desperate situation. Bridget was in urgent need of veterinary care, while her babies required immediate sexing and separation to prevent further welfare issues. Despite the challenges we were facing at the time, we knew we simply could not turn them away. Bridget’s story is shared in full on the following page, but her arrival was a powerful reminder of why specialist rescues like Nibbles must continue to exist.

rescues: 3

Rodents transferred in from other rescues: 0 Rodents born at the centre*: 0 Rodents transferred out to other rescues: 0

Rabbits transferred out to other rescues: 0

Rodents who died while in our care: 3

Rabbits who died while in our care: 2

Rabbits on sanctuary placements: 8

Rodents on sanctuary placements: 0 Rabbits adopted: 7 Rodents adopted: 0 Animals Returned to our care: 0

As the year progressed and we gained greater confidence that the rescue would be able to continue into 2026, we were able to carefully offer places to four further rabbits in urgent need. These included two rabbits taken in by a cat rescue after being dumped, a stray found in Haverfordwest, and an unwanted child’s pet, surrendered in December after only one month when care had already broken down. Each of these cases highlighted the ongoing demand for specialist rabbit rescue support and the importance of having the capacity to respond when stability allows.

Of the rabbits taken in during the year, one has already found a new home, with others continuing to receive care while they await suitable placements.

Losses During the Year

Sadly, 2025 also brought loss.

In early February, we made the difficult decision to euthanise Dewi, a lop rabbit suffering from a severe inner ear infection affecting both ears — a condition sadly common in this breed. Although surgery to remove the ear canals was an option, Dewi was already showing signs of facial paralysis, and there was a significant risk that surgery could result in further paralysis, potentially preventing him from eating or drinking. After lengthy discussions with our vet, we felt it was kinder to let him go without subjecting him to the stress and risks of surgery.

We also lost Tim, one of our much-loved sanctuary rabbits. Tim had been on palliative care due to ongoing dental issues and was lost very suddenly to an aneurysm. Thankfully, he was not alone when he passed, but his loss was deeply felt by the entire team.

Tim’s passing left Georgie on her own, and we had to carefully consider her welfare. Freddie, another longterm rabbit in our care, had been with us for over two years. His complex dietary needs and requirement for regular washing had made rehoming extremely difficult, and he had begun to show signs of depression while living alone. We felt the best path forward was to bond Freddie with Georgie and welcome him into our sanctuary group. The two bonded quickly, bringing comfort and companionship to each other.

During 2025, we also said goodbye to the last three sanctuary rats in our care. Their passing marked the end of rodent residents at Nibbles, following the closure of the rodent cabin.

Homes Found

Total animals helped: 11 Total animals adopted: 7

We were delighted to see seven rabbits find their forever homes during the year. Among them was Elliott, a long-stay rabbit whose outgoing nature had made it difficult to find the right match. Seeing him finally settled in a home where he could thrive was a moment of real joy for the team — even if he is still fondly missed at the centre.

*As a result from animals arriving in our care already pregnant

Looking Ahead

By the end of 2025, we were able to increase active rabbit housing to 12 units, reflecting improved stability and careful planning. While we remain cautious, this small increase marks an important step forward. With greater financial stability now in place, we hope to continue this gradual growth during 2026, allowing us to help more rabbits while maintaining the high welfare standards at the heart of everything we do.

2025 Annual Report Bridget: Why Specialist Rescue Matters

Bridget came into our care at a time when the future of Nibbles felt more uncertain than ever. For much of 2025, we were fighting to keep the rescue open — and Bridget reminded us exactly why that fight mattered.

She was found alone in an alleyway with a badly infected right eye, and we can only assume she had been recently dumped. Just three days later, she gave birth to a litter of five. Her finders did everything they could to help her, but with a litter to care for and an infection that was not improving, they knew specialist support was urgently needed. When Bridget and her babies were around six weeks old, they made the difficult but responsible decision to bring them to Nibbles.

When Bridget arrived in May, it was clear she had been struggling for a long time. She was in poor overall condition, with a heavy ear mite infestation, suspected E. cuniculi, dental issues, and a severe eye infection. Caring for her required intensive treatment — at times up to six times a day — over many weeks. While her illness was serious, what stood out most was Bridget herself. She accepted every part of her care calmly and without fuss, earning her reputation as a model patient. Slowly, we began to see improvement.

There were setbacks along the way. Following her first vaccination, the left eye became inflamed and required further treatment. In November, once she was strong enough, Bridget was spayed and both tear ducts were flushed under anaesthetic. She developed a post-operative snuffle that needed additional care, but today she is in the best condition she has been in since arriving with us.

It is clear that Bridget has likely spent much of her life being used as a breeding doe. She bears old injuries, including tears to one ear, and the signs of a life that offered little care or protection before she was discarded. And yet, now that she is no longer in pain, Bridget is full of joy. She loves to run, play with toys, and explore her enclosure alongside her daughter, Pixie. She is curious, friendly, and confident — a powerful reminder of how resilient and forgiving rabbits can be when finally given the chance.

Bridget’s story captures the double importance of Nibbles. We were able to offer her the specialist medical care she urgently needed at a time when very few rescues could have done so. And because of her ongoing health needs, we have been able to offer Bridget and Pixie a permanent sanctuary place — something no other rescue in our area is equipped to provide.

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During her intensive treatment
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As she recovers she starts to show her She’s now always first to greet us in the After her spay and enjoying some new
curious and outgoing nature mornings enrichment with her daughter Pixie
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Bridget reminded us of something fundamental at a moment when we felt we were failing to save Nibbles. She showed us that, even as everything around us felt uncertain, the very thing Nibbles exists to do was still happening. Bridget needed specialist rabbit knowledge, time, patience, and a level of care that larger, all-species rescues simply are not set up to provide. Without that expertise and focus, her only remaining option would have been euthanasia to end her suffering.

We were able to help Bridget because Nibbles is a specialist rescue. Because we understand rabbits. Because we have the experience, resources, and commitment to take on complex cases that others cannot. Saving her did not feel like a success in isolation — it felt like proof that Nibbles still mattered, still had a purpose, and still needed to exist.

At a time when we felt close to giving up, Bridget showed us that we weren’t failing where it mattered most. And if there is one thing her story makes clear, it is this: there will be another rabbit like Bridget. Without Nibbles, there would be no one left in South West Wales to help her. That knowledge is what forced us to find a new way to keep fighting — not just to save a rescue, but to protect the lives and futures that depend on it.

2025 Annual Report The Welfare Team

2025 proved to be an unexpectedly challenging year for Nibbles Rodent & Rabbit Rescue when it came to staffing and team structure. A series of sudden changes required quick, careful decisions to ensure that the animals in our care continued to receive the high standard of welfare we pride ourselves on, while also maintaining the smooth day-to-day running of the charity.

Despite this uncertainty, the welfare team adapted with resilience and determination, ensuring that animal care remained consistent throughout the year.

Siobhan: Centre Manager

Siobhan has continued in her role as Centre Manager throughout 2025 and will be continuing in this position into

1. As in previous years, she has worked significantly more hours than she is paid for in order to ensure the ongoing care of the animals and the continued operation of the rescue.

At the end of January, Abi left the charity unexpectedly, resulting in the sudden loss of both administrative support and eight hours of animal care each week. This created an immediate gap at a critical point in the year, with additional responsibilities falling to Siobhan during an already demanding period. Despite this, she remained fully committed to maintaining welfare standards, overseeing daily operations, and ensuring the continued stability of the rescue during a time of significant uncertainty.

Jasmine: Senior Animal Care Assistant

Jasmine has continued in her role as Senior Animal Care Assistant throughout 2025. In recognition of her growing responsibilities, she received a small pay increase towards the end of the year. Following Abi’s departure, Jasmine took on full responsibility for supervising and supporting volunteers — a role previously managed by the Assistant Manager — alongside her existing animal care duties.

Towards the end of 2025, Jasmine also agreed to take on additional hours on a semi-temporary basis. This arrangement has been agreed for 2026 and will be reviewed depending on funding availability and the number of animals we are able to house. While we are not planning to increase capacity until monthly funding improves, this additional support will be vital in allowing us to progress essential repair and maintenance work that has been delayed due to uncertainty in recent years.

Chloe – Animal Care Assistant (April–September)

Chloe joined our small paid staff team in April, working part-time to cover eight hours of animal care following Abi’s departure. Unfortunately, Chloe left the role in September after being offered a full-time position elsewhere. While we were pleased for her, this departure was sudden and left the charity in a difficult position at a time when the future of Nibbles remained uncertain.

Our Volunteers

Throughout 2025, our volunteers continued to play an essential role in keeping the rescue running. Evelyn, a longstanding volunteer, changed her volunteering day from Wednesdays to Mondays at a crucial moment, providing much-needed stability. Karen has continued in her long-held role, volunteering on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, with Clare also continuing as a valued long-term volunteer.

Jasmine

Just before Christmas, Rose joined the volunteering team on Fridays, completing a rota that now provides volunteer support on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. This structure has ensured that animal care standards have been maintained consistently and has also allowed Siobhan to return to office-based work, keeping pace with the growing administrative and welfare demands of the charity.

This flexible and dedicated volunteer support has not only enabled us to manage day-to-day care during a difficult year, but has also helped us identify a workable short-term structure and begin planning responsibly for 2027 should funding remain limited.

A Team Built on Adaptability and Commitment

2025 required adaptability, resilience, and cooperation across the entire welfare team. Despite uncertainty and sudden changes, the focus never shifted away from the animals. The collective effort of staff and volunteers ensured that every rabbit in our care continued to receive the attention, enrichment, and welfare-led care they deserve. As we move into 2026, we do so with gratitude for this dedicated team and cautious optimism that the stability built during 2025 will allow us to continue strengthening both our care provision and our long-term sustainability.

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Rose
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Clare
Karen Evelyn
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2025 Annual Report Trustees

This year our trustees have remained the same as 2024 with everyone continuing in their previous roles.

We enter into 2026 with:

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 2025 and through their devotion to the charity, we look forward to tackling new projects during 2026.

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Rachel
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Margaret

2025 Annual Report

Reflecting on 2025: Our Progress and What We Achieved

At the end of 2024, we set out a number of goals designed to help stabilise Nibbles, strengthen our digital presence, and lay the foundations for growth. Although 2025 has remained an exceptionally challenging year — marked by uncertainty, limited capacity, and the ongoing threat of closure — we continued working towards those goals wherever possible. Progress has been slower and more fragmented than we had originally hoped, but each step forward represents determination during one of the busiest and most emotionally demanding years in our history.

Below is a summary of what we set out to do and what we were able to achieve.

Building a Better Website

In 2024, we began rebuilding our website, focusing on clearer navigation, improved adoption listings, and easier access to welfare advice. Despite the pressure and uncertainty surrounding Nibbles’ future for much of 2025, we continued this work steadily throughout the year.

Although progress was slower than planned, we reached a significant milestone before the year came to a close: the launch of our Rabbit Care Hub .

This new section offers clear, reliable, welfare-led guidance for everyday guardians in a single, easy-to-use resource. It marks the first major step towards a comprehensive digital hub dedicated to rabbit and rodent welfare.

Harnessing the Power of Google Ads

This year, we finally unlocked the potential of our Google Ads Grant and planned to launch our first campaigns in 2025. However, understanding what the grant can and cannot be used for proved far more complicated than expected.

Throughout 2025 we:

Spent many hours working through free online courses, only to later discover that much of the material was not relevant to the Google Ads Grant programme

• Submitted an application for support through Google’s grant mentorship scheme but never received any response Navigated a steep learning curve with limited guidance and no marketing background

Despite these challenges, we persisted — and by November 2025, our first Google Ads campaign successfully launched , promoting our educational rabbit diet blog. This early success lays an important foundation for more focused campaigns in 2026.

Expanding Our Social Media Presence

In 2024, we planned to expand our presence across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube with a structured content strategy. But the reality of 2025 was that the appeal to save Nibbles became our primary focus on social media — especially on Facebook — simply because it was essential for keeping the rescue open.

Creating regular, varied content has remained extremely difficult. Social media, particularly video production, is incredibly time-consuming, and in truth, could easily be a full-time role on its own. With the day-to-day care of the rabbits always taking absolute priority, and with significant time also devoted to urgent welfare and advocacy work such as the Rabbit Code of Practice review, the capacity available for content creation was limited.

Despite these constraints, we have:

Begun developing a less demanding and more sustainable content plan for 2026

Continued learning how to create posts that are engaging but manageable

• Gained a better understanding of Facebook’s paid advertising tools

Uploaded our first YouTube video before the end of the year

Finding a realistic balance between daily rescue operations and ongoing digital engagement continues to be a challenge, but the work done in 2025 has helped us move closer to a sustainable approach.

Reclaiming Time to Focus on Growth

In 2024, we noted how transformative ChatGPT (Charlie) had already been for improving efficiency and helping us move forward in areas outside of animal care. That has remained true throughout 2025.

Charlie has continued to be a vital resource — enabling us to produce high-quality work more quickly, supporting everything from website content and welfare guides to policy documents, campaign materials and SEO tasks. Without this support, many of the digital improvements made this year simply would not have been possible.

Looking Back on Our 2024 Goals

While we were not able to complete everything we had hoped for in 2025, the progress we have made reflects significant learning, growth, and resilience during an incredibly demanding year.

We now enter 2026 with:

A much deeper understanding of digital media

• Stronger SEO knowledge

• A far clearer grasp of what the Google Ads Grant can and cannot be used for The achievement of our first successfully launched Google Ads campaign

• A growing ability to create regular, manageable social media content

• A workable and realistic content plan for the coming year

The steps taken in 2025 — though made in challenging circumstances — have laid the groundwork for a stronger, more stable future for Nibbles and for the animals who depend on us.

2025 Annual Report Standing Up for Rabbit and Rodent Welfare in 2025

During 2025, alongside the immense pressures of everyday rescue work and the effort to save Nibbles from closure, we undertook a significant piece of welfare advocacy that we felt morally obligated to pursue. When the Welsh Government announced its intention to regulate Animal Welfare Establishments, we fully welcomed the proposal. Regulation has the potential to raise standards, improve accountability, and ensure the welfare needs of vulnerable animals are protected consistently across Wales.

However, as the only specialist rabbit and rodent rescue in South West Wales, we were deeply concerned that the specific needs of rabbits and rodents were unlikely to be properly represented within this framework. Without accurate, speciesappropriate welfare standards, any new legislation risked failing the very animals it sought to protect. Even with the possibility of closure looming at the time, we felt we had a responsibility to speak up on behalf of these often-forgotten species.

Raising Concerns With the Minister

We contacted the Minister for Rural Affairs and Climate Change to express our concerns and to request clarification on several key points. The response we received was deeply distressing. Rather than outlining clear welfare standards or acknowledging the urgent need for updated guidance, the Welsh Government referred us to the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Rabbits (2009) as the primary reference point for ensuring welfare needs are met under the Animal Welfare Act.

The problems with this approach are profound.

• The rabbit code is now . 15 years old

• It has never been reviewed or updated , despite the companion animal landscape changing significantly during this time.

• In contrast, the codes for dogs, cats, and equines were all reviewed and updated between 2018–2019.

• The rabbit code is not aligned with modern welfare science , current veterinary recommendations, or the lived reality of rescue work.

• Critically, several sections are now in breach of the Animal Welfare Act itself, as they no longer reflect what is required to meet a rabbit’s needs.

Using this outdated document as the benchmark for welfare regulation would leave rabbits effectively unprotected within the new legislation.

Submitting a Full Scientific Review

In response, we undertook an incredibly extensive and time-consuming task: producing a full draft review of the 2009 rabbit code. This review highlighted the areas where the code fails to meet even the basic welfare needs of rabbits and provided clear, evidence-backed recommendations for new wording and updated standards. It was a huge amount of work during an already overwhelming year, but we felt a responsibility to ensure the welfare needs of rabbits were given the seriousness they deserve.

Alongside the review, we re-submitted two important questions that had not been answered in the initial response:

1. Where will welfare standards for rodents be drawn from, given that no species-specific codes exist?

2. Will pet shop “adoption” areas be included within the scope of the new regulations?

The Government’s Response

We were once again disappointed by the reply.

The Welsh Government confirmed that they are not planning to update the rabbit code at this time , despite the scientific, welfare, and legal issues we highlighted. They did state that they would consider the matter of adoption areas in pet shops, but ultimately provided no clarification at all on where rodent standards would be sourced — leaving these species without any identified protection within the proposed regulatory framework.

This means that, as it stands, the government intends to use an outdated, scientifically unsupported document as the welfare benchmark for rabbits in licensed establishments. Such an approach fails to protect these animals in any meaningful way and contradicts the very principles of the Animal Welfare Act.

Looking Ahead

While we cannot yet publicly discuss our next steps, we want to be clear: we have not given up on ensuring the welfare needs of rabbits are taken seriously in Wales . We will continue to raise our concerns throughout 2026 and work constructively towards securing the updated, science-based standards that rabbits urgently need and deserve.

Summary and Looking Ahead

Throughout the latter part of 2025, alongside the day-to-day demands of running the rescue, we committed significant time and energy to raising serious welfare concerns at a national level. With a very small team and limited capacity, producing a full, evidence-based review of the outdated rabbit Code of Practice was a substantial undertaking, but one we felt was essential. The continued reliance on a 15-year-old document that no longer reflects welfare science risks leaving rabbits without meaningful protection under proposed animal welfare establishment regulations, while rodents remain without any clearly defined standards at all.

Although the responses we received were deeply disappointing, this work reinforced the importance of specialist voices being heard when legislation is developed. During the latter part of 2025, we began laying the groundwork for continued advocacy, including engaging with other welfare organisations who share our concerns and support the need for updated, science-led standards.

During 2026, we will continue to pursue this work constructively and persistently, raising awareness of the gaps in current guidance and advocating for welfare protections that genuinely meet the needs of rabbits and rodents. This work is vital not only for improving welfare across Wales, but also for ensuring that these animals are properly safeguarded within any future regulation of animal welfare establishments.

2025 Annual Report Funding

The Figures

One off donations through PayPal Giving: £3,964.38

Funds raised through online events: £3,184.47

Funds raised through grants: £5,000.00

Total raised from monthly pledges and sponsorships: £15,742.99

Total raised from CAF donate (pledges and one-off donations): £13,453.36

We are profoundly grateful to everyone who supported Nibbles Rodent & Rabbit Rescue throughout 2025. In a year defined by difficult decisions and ongoing financial uncertainty, the growth in regular monthly support played a crucial role in keeping the rescue open. Your generosity has allowed us to maintain essential standards of care, continue lifesaving veterinary treatment, and protect the welfare of the rabbits who depend on us — ultimately enabling Nibbles to continue into 2026. Thank you for believing in our mission and standing alongside us during one of the most challenging periods in our history.

Funding in 2025: Stability Through Support and Careful Compromise

In 2025, Nibbles Rodent & Rabbit Rescue saw a modest but vitally important improvement in overall funding. Total income increased by £3,271.12 , rising from £44,828.28 in 2024 to £48,099.47 in 2025 . While this increase did not resolve the long-term financial challenges facing the rescue, it marked a significant shift after several years of decline and provided a much-needed degree of stability.

The most meaningful change during 2025 was the growth in regular monthly support. At the end of December 2024, income from pledges and sponsorships stood at £1,357.34 per month. By the end of December 2025, this had increased to £2,512.73 per month. Although this remained below our target of £3,500 per month, the increase fundamentally changed what was possible for the rescue.

The rise in pledges during 2025, combined with careful budgeting and close financial management, enabled us to identify a viable way forward. While we continued to operate at limited capacity, the progress made over the year allowed us to enter 2026 with enough stability to ensure essential costs can be met consistently. Crucially, this has also given us the ability to plan beyond immediate survival. We now have a number of potential pathways mapped out for 2027, with the route we are able to take dependent on how funding develops during 2026.

Improving Access to Donations

During 2025, we introduced a new fundraising platform, CAF Donate , to make both one-off donations and monthly pledges easier and more accessible for supporters. The platform provides a seamless, single process for giving, removing many of the practical barriers that previously existed and making it simpler for supporters to commit to regular support.

Over the course of the year, a total of £13,453.36 was donated via CAF Donate , made up of a combination of one-off donations and monthly pledge contributions. By the end of December 2025, the CAF platform was generating £1,108.31 per month in regular donations , excluding Gift Aid. This growth in accessible, recurring income has played an important role in strengthening our financial position and supporting the stability achieved during 2025.

Additional Sources of Funding

Funds raised through other donations: £3,605.55

Funds generated from charity collection boxes: £1,578.00

Funds raised from EasyFundraising: £294.53

Funds generated from adoption and surrender donations: £700

Funds generated through sales: £72.58

Other Income: £503.61*

Total Income: £48,099.47

*£468.63 in interest payments

££34.98 in refunds

Other income streams showed smaller but positive changes during the year.

Adoption donations increased slightly to £700, compared to £680 in 2024. There were no surrender donations received during 2025.

Grant funding rose to £5,000, compared to £3,500 in 2024. This increase came from trusts that have previously supported our work. Notably, we did not submit any new grant applications during 2025, due to the uncertainty surrounding the future of the rescue, highlighting the importance of established relationships with funders.

While these figures remain modest, together they contributed to the overall improvement in financial stability achieved during the year.

Looking Ahead

At the end of 2024, we were facing the very real possibility that Nibbles Rodent & Rabbit Rescue would not survive beyond 2025. Reduced funding had forced us to scale back capacity, limit the number of animals we could help, and make painful compromises simply to keep the rescue functioning. Without a significant increase in reliable income, closure felt increasingly inevitable.

One year on, the financial position at the end of 2025 remains fragile — but it is no longer defined solely by crisis. The growth in regular monthly support throughout the year has been transformative, allowing us to move away from immediate survival and towards cautious, realistic planning. While we are still operating at limited capacity and must continue to manage costs carefully, the progress made during 2025 has ensured that Nibbles can continue into 2026 with greater stability than we had believed possible twelve months earlier.

This shift has not removed the challenges we face, nor has it eliminated the need for difficult decisions. However, it has given us something we did not have at the end of 2024: time, options, and the ability to plan ahead. With careful financial management and continued support from our community, we are now able to look beyond the immediate year ahead and begin considering pathways into 2027, depending on how funding develops.

Every decision we continue to make is driven by the welfare of the animals in our care. The support received during 2025 has allowed us to protect that commitment and to ensure that Nibbles remains a place of safety for rabbits who have nowhere else to turn. While the future is still uncertain, we move forward with renewed determination, grateful for the community that has made it possible for Nibbles to continue its work into the years ahead.

2025 Annual Report Expenditure

In 2025, total expenditure increased compared to 2024. This rise was not driven by expansion or growth, but by unavoidable increases in core running costs. Higher staff salary commitments, rising veterinary fees, and increases in insurance and webhosting costs all contributed to this change. These pressures reflected the wider cost increases affecting charities across the sector and underscored how limited our financial flexibility remained at the start of the year.

For the first five months of 2025, Nibbles operated at a loss each month. Between January and May, this resulted in a cumulative shortfall of £3,818.64, clearly illustrating the concerns we raised at the end of 2024 about the rescue’s ability to remain viable beyond 2025. At that point, the reserves available were only sufficient to see us through 2025, leaving no margin for unexpected costs or prolonged deficits.

The Figures

June marked a critical turning point. For the first time in the year, we recorded a modest monthly surplus of £162, signalling the beginning of a gradual shift away from immediate financial decline. While this did not resolve the underlying challenges, it reflected the impact of increasing regular support and careful financial management, and provided a small but important indication that stabilisation was possible.

Animal Supplies: £2,347.10

Expenditure in 2025: Managing Rising Costs After a Year of Restriction

Accessories, repairs, replacements & maintenance: £616.64

New Housing: £0.00

Salaries: £30,148.00

Vets Fees: £4,432.12

In 2025, total expenditure increased from £33,562.09 in 2024 to £41,459.76 . This rise was expected following an exceptionally restrictive year in 2024, during which expenditure was deliberately reduced to create a short-term buffer and allow the rescue to continue into 2025.

The reduction in staffing hours during 2024 was always intended to be temporary. While it enabled us to allocate more funding into reserves for salaries during 2025, it also placed significant strain on the day-to-day running of the rescue. Throughout this period, essential operations were maintained through a substantial number of unpaid and after-hours worked by the charity’s founder and centre manager, Siobhan, reflecting her commitment to ensuring the continued care and welfare of the animals. However, this level of workload was not sustainable beyond the end of 2024.

During 2025, increased expenditure in this area allowed those unpaid hours to be reduced to a more manageable level, ensuring that daily care and essential responsibilities could be maintained without relying on unsustainable working patterns.

Subscriptions, Fees & Insurance: £1,276.00

Veterinary Costs: A Sharp and Unavoidable Increase

Veterinary expenditure rose significantly during 2025, driven by substantial increases in fees and the introduction of additional essential treatments. Total veterinary costs increased from £3,124.53 in 2024 to £4,432.12 in 2025 , reflecting rising prices across all areas of rabbit healthcare.

• Spay procedures increased from £99 to £169 , a rise of approximately 71%

Print, marketing & postage: £130.68 Other Expenses: £2,509.22

• Castration procedures increased from £79 to £149 , an increase of around 89%

• The Nobivac Plus vaccine rose from £76.50 to £85, an increase of approximately 11%

• Rabbits now require an additional Yurvac vaccine to protect against a new strain of RHD2. After spending almost a year attempting to source this vaccine, we were finally able to obtain it in December 2025. This has added a further £66 per rabbit

° Dental procedures saw the most dramatic rise, increasing from £99 to £385 , an increase of nearly 289% These costs are non-negotiable. Vaccinations, neutering, and dental care are essential components of responsible rabbit welfare and cannot be compromised without putting animals at risk.

Total Expenditure: £41,459.76

Animal Supplies and Day-to-Day Costs

Due to reduced capacity for much of the year and some small decreases in the cost of certain items, we saw a modest reduction in animal supply costs. Spending fell from £2,615.35 in 2024 to £2,347.10 in 2025 . While welcome, this reduction reflects fewer animals being housed rather than a meaningful decrease in the cost of essentials.

Subscriptions, Fees, and Insurance

Subscriptions, fees, and insurance costs continued to rise, increasing from £982.88 in 2024 to £1,276.00 in 2025 . This increase was driven in part by the introduction of a monthly ChatGPT subscription, which has become an essential operational tool, as well as a significant rise in web-hosting costs, which doubled during the year. These services support fundraising, communications, compliance, and welfare education, and have become integral to the charity’s ability to function effectively.

Balancing Care and Costs in 2025

Freddie and Georgie — safe, loved, and cared for at Nibbles, thanks to the support that kept the rescue open.

Throughout 2025, every financial decision was made with animal welfare at its core. Rising costs and ongoing uncertainty required careful prioritisation, but the health, safety, and wellbeing of the animals in our care remained non-negotiable. Alongside meeting these essential needs, we also made small, targeted investments to move the charity forward — strengthening our digital presence, expanding access to welfare information, and laying foundations that will allow Nibbles to extend its impact beyond the centre itself. These steps are vital to reaching new supporters, improving long-term sustainability, and ensuring that our welfare work can continue to grow in the years ahead.

2025 Annual Report The Figures

The following pages present our key figures for 2025, covering intakes, adoptions, income, expenditure, and reserves. While the numbers reflect a year of continued constraint, they also show the first signs of stabilisation and the difference that sustained support has begun to make.

Animals Helped in 2025: Small Numbers, Meaningful

For much of 2025, Nibbles remained closed to new arrivals as we faced ongoing uncertainty about the future of the rescue. Despite this, we were able to offer placements to 11 rabbits during the year , an increase from the . 7 rabbits we were able to help in 2024

While these numbers remain low, they represent cautious progress during a year when survival had to take priority. They do not reflect a reduction in need. Throughout 2025, we continued to receive a high volume of requests for help and were forced to turn away significantly more rabbits than we were able to take in, due to limited capacity and funding constraints.

We also remain a long way from the numbers we were able to help in 2021, when 135 animals came through our doors . At that time, we had sufficient funding to operate at full capacity — and notably, with fewer rabbit housing units than we have available today. The gradual increase seen during 2025 gives us renewed hope that, with stable funding, we can continue moving back towards growth and ultimately work towards fully reopening the rescue.

Adoptions in 2025: A Gradual Step Forward

In 2025, we saw a small but encouraging increase in adoptions, with 7 rabbits finding new homes, compared to 4 in 2024 . Most notably, two bonded pairs were successfully adopted — a significant achievement, as bonded pairs and groups are often harder to rehome than single rabbits.

Despite this progress, many of the same challenges remain. Due to limited intakes, the majority of rabbits available for adoption continued to be single males, leading to an ongoing mismatch with the high volume of enquiries we receive for female rabbits and rodents, particularly guinea pigs. This imbalance continues to affect adoption rates, even when rabbits are healthy, well-adjusted, and ready for homes.

While numbers remain lower than we would like, the increase seen during 2025 is a positive sign. As stability improves, we hope to continue building on this progress — helping more rabbits move from long-term care into loving, suitable homes.

Expenditure Trends: Rising Costs Despite Reduced Capacity

The increase in expenditure seen in 2025 reflects the continued rise in day-to-day running costs rather than any expansion in services. Since 2021, the cost of providing even basic rabbit care has increased dramatically. Veterinary fees in particular have risen sharply, with neutering costs increasing from £60–£80 in 2021 to £149–£169 in 2025, while vaccination costs have risen from £34 to £85 per rabbit.

Alongside veterinary costs, we have also faced sustained increases in salaries, animal supplies, insurance, and essential operational fees. These rising costs have occurred despite a significant reduction in the number of animals housed at the centre and fewer paid staffing hours compared to previous years.

The result is a stark reality faced by many small charities: even while operating at reduced capacity, overall running costs have more than doubled since 2021. This trend reflects the wider impact of the cost-of-living crisis that began in 2022 and continues to place immense pressure on welfare organisations. These figures highlight just how challenging it has become to maintain high welfare standards in an environment where costs rise faster than income.

2025 Annual Report The Figures

Income and Reserves

Income Trends: Recovery Amid Rising Costs

The chart shows the sharp drop in income during 2022, when total funding fell to £29,828.88, marking the start of the financial crisis that has shaped the following years. Since then, income has gradually recovered, rising to £49,068.36 in 2023, dipping slightly in 2024, and increasing again to £48,099.47 in 2025. While income in 2025 is closer to pre-crisis levels, this recovery must be viewed alongside the significant rise in running costs over the same period. As outlined in the expenditure section, veterinary fees, salaries, insurance, and essential operational costs have increased sharply since 2021. As a result, funding that would previously have supported full capacity now only allows the rescue to operate at a reduced level.

Nevertheless, the improvement seen during 2025 has been critically important. Income has now reached a level that allows Nibbles to remain open and sustain operations at its current capacity. While we are still a long way from being able to fully reopen, these figures represent meaningful progress and provide a foundation on which future growth may be possible if funding continues to strengthen.

Monthly Funding Trends in 2025: From Loss to Stability

Entering 2025, Nibbles faced the very real prospect of closure. With limited reserves and no certainty that funding would improve, preparations were made for the possibility that the rescue would not be able to continue beyond the end of the year.

The first five months of 2025 reflected these concerns, with the rescue operating at a loss each month. A further loss occurred in November, largely due to an unusually high veterinary bill. However, the overall pattern across the year shows a clear shift. The introduction of a new donation platform, alongside a focused campaign to raise awareness of our situation, led to a steady increase in monthly funding.

As a result, Nibbles did not operate at a loss for six months of the year. The surplus generated during those months not only offset the losses incurred earlier in the year but also resulted in a £6,639.71 surplus at year end, which has been allocated towards running costs and essential repairs in 2026. This change has been critical in stabilising the rescue. While challenges remain, the progress shown here demonstrates how sustained support has moved Nibbles away from immediate crisis and allowed us to plan cautiously for 2026, with the hope of extending that stability further into 2027 and beyond.

Funding Reserves for 2026: Planning for Known Risks

The chart illustrates how our funding reserves are allocated as we move into 2026, reflecting the hard lessons learned over recent years and a more cautious, forward-planned approach to financial management. At the end of 2025, Nibbles entered the new year with total reserves of £58,094.61 .

A key part of this planning relates to how we manage staffing costs. To operate responsibly and avoid sudden instability, we work to hold salary funding 12 months in advance. Each month, funds are set aside not only to meet current commitments but also to ensure that salary costs for the same period in the following year can be covered. This approach allows us to offer secure contracts and protects the charity from being immediately exposed if income fluctuates.

Through experience, we know that the first quarter of the year typically brings a drop in income. We are therefore highly likely to operate at a loss in January 2026, which would limit our ability to set aside funding for January 2027 salaries from that month’s income alone. To account for this, £14,610.25 of our reserves has been ring-fenced as a buffer , allowing us to allocate salary funding for early 2027 even if income in early 2026 is reduced.

This funding is not surplus or spare capacity. It is a deliberate safeguard designed to manage seasonal shortfalls, protect staff stability, and ensure the charity can continue operating responsibly without reacting to short-term income dips. Entering 2026 with this structure in place gives us greater resilience and allows decisions to be made with care, rather than urgency.

2025 Annual Report

Looking to 2026

As we move into 2026, Nibbles does so having come through one of the most difficult periods in its history. After years shaped by financial instability, rising costs, and the very real threat of closure, we are now in a position to plan with greater confidence and intention. While capacity remains limited, the progress made during 2025 has given us something we have not had for a long time: the time and stability needed to rebuild responsibly.

Summary

Our focus for 2026 is not rapid expansion, but careful, welfare-led growth, ensuring that every step forward is sustainable and firmly rooted in our core values.

Reopening the Rodent Cabin

Stability Secured: Thanks to increased regular support, Nibbles enters 2026 with enough stability to continue operating at limited capacity and begin planning for the future.

Rodent Rescue Priority: Reopening the rodent cabin remains a key goal for 2026, restoring specialist rescue support for rodents in South West Wales after nearly three years without provision.

Sanctuary Commitment: Plans are underway to develop long-term, high-welfare housing for our three pairs of sanctuary rabbits, ensuring they have the best possible quality of life at the centre.

Welfare Beyond the Centre:

Alongside hands-on rescue work, we will continue to advocate for improved rabbit welfare legislation in Wales and expand our welfare hub to support guardians across the UK.

A central goal for 2026 is to work towards reopening the rodent cabin, which has remained closed since the end of June 2023. Its closure has left rodents without any specialist rescue support within South West Wales — an unacceptable gap for animals who are already widely overlooked and misunderstood.

Our aim is to seek grant funding to repair and renovate the existing structure, allowing us to initially provide placements for a limited number of rodents while we continue to build regular monthly support throughout 2026. Reopening the cabin is about more than capacity alone; it is about restoring vital, species-specific rescue provision and ensuring that rodents in need once again have somewhere safe to turn.

High-Welfare Sanctuary Housing

Welfare sits at the heart of everything we do at Nibbles. Since 2023, plans to improve and upgrade long-term housing for our sanctuary rabbits have been repeatedly put on hold due to financial uncertainty. In 2026, we hope to change that.

Our aim is to develop new, high-welfare enclosures for our three bonded pairs of sanctuary rabbits — spaces that not only provide them with the best possible quality of life, but also serve as a visible example of what good rabbit housing can and should look like. By seeking grant funding for this work, we hope these enclosures will support the rabbits who live in them for life, while also helping to educate the wider public about modern welfare standards.

Repairs and Improvements at the Centre

Years of operating under financial strain have meant that many necessary repairs and minor improvements across the centre have been delayed. As stability has returned, these issues can no longer be postponed.

During 2026, we plan to begin addressing a number of essential maintenance projects, including replacing the small storage shed destroyed in a storm in November 2024, repairing roofing on several enclosures, and re-fencing the centre where the existing boundary fencing — now over 12 years old — has begun to rot and fail. Additional repairs to some housing units will also be required to ensure they remain safe and fit for purpose.

This work is vital not only for animal welfare, but for the long-term resilience of the rescue itself.

Continuing Our Welfare and Education Work

Alongside physical improvements at the centre, we will continue our wider welfare work throughout 2026. This includes building on our efforts to challenge the Welsh Government to update the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Rabbits so that it reflects current scientific understanding and genuinely meets rabbits’ welfare needs.

At the same time, we will continue to expand and develop our welfare hub and complete further work on the new website. These resources play a crucial role in supporting guardians across the UK, helping to improve welfare long before rescue intervention becomes necessary.

A Year of Purposeful Progress

There is no doubt that 2026 will be a busy year. After years dominated by uncertainty, we are looking forward to finally being able to focus on the practical, hands-on work needed at the centre — particularly once the winter weather clears. With careful planning, continued support, and a renewed sense of direction, we hope to make 2026 a year of steady, meaningful progress for Nibbles and the animals who rely on us.

We are deeply grateful for the support shown throughout 2025, which has allowed us to move forward with confidence, plan for 2026, and begin the journey towards bringing Nibbles fully back to life and operating at maximum capacity once again in the future.

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