Schnauzerfest our Annual Report and Accounts 2024-2025
Registered Charity Number 1185975
CONTENTS
1 Trustees Report
12 Structure and governance
14 Financial Review
15 Independent examiner's report
16 Financial statements
18 Notes to the financial statements
Beatrice (aka Millie)
WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO
Schnauzerfest is an animal welfare charity working to relieve the suffering of dogs, in particular but not exclusively schnauzers, who are in need of care and attention. We promote humane behaviour towards all dogs. We achieve this by supporting animal welfare charities, organisations and individuals involved in the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of dogs. In addition we provide support for individuals who are unable at a point in time to meet the costs of veterinary care for their dogs. We educate the public on matters around responsible pet ownership and animal welfare with a focus on the dog breeding industry.
On the cover: Bea, an ex-breeding dog who experienced post-op complications when spayed but is now enjoying a happy life making up for lost time she spent in the breeding industry. Above: Millie, now Beatrice (another Bea) is happily doing very much the same after years spent confined in a low-welfare breeding place.
WELCOME TO THE TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE PERIOD APRIL 2024 TO MARCH 2025
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Janetta with Susie-Belle, 2014
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In 2024 we celebrated 10 years of Schnauzerfest being in the world. It was in October 2014 that the first nationwide, fundraising dog walks in the name of Schnauzerfest took place. From a simple idea which I shared with friends who helped bring it to life, a wonderful community has grown. As I reflect on our 10 years together, I am filled with gratitude for everything that has been achieved for the dogs.
When Schnauzerfest gained charity status in October 2019 we knew this would give us the opportunity to help many rescues in need of financial assistance. What we didn’t know was that a pandemic would hit within months, followed by a cost of living crisis and this would contribute to a serious animal welfare crisis which now engulfs the UK’s rescue sector. Or that owners, unable to pay rapidly rising costs of veterinary treatment would face stark, traumatic decisions for their dogs, their family.
Despite undeniable challenges, we are determined to make a positive difference. In 2024, for a small charity, we supported a great number of dogs receiving veterinary treatment. Some in homes, others in rescue, all of them in need of support. Each dog helped by a Schnauzerfest Grant is testament to the generosity and dedication of our supporters and volunteers. I am hugely proud of the unwavering commitment of the Schnauzerfest community. I hope that as you read this report, you are as inspired as I am, by everything that is accomplished together.
Janetta Harvey, Founder
The Trustees confirm that they have carefully considered the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit in deciding what activities the charity should undertake and believe that Schnauzerfest’s work does so in a number of ways. Throughout this report the activities undertaken by Schnauzerfest will demonstrate that the charity’s work in pursuit of its charitable purposes have created material public benefit and prepared Schnauzerfest to further this in future.
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Schnauzerfest Annual Report 2024
2012
With a small group of friends Janetta began organising social dog walks using online forums and social media, starting the first schnauzer walks Facebook group, Schnauzer Walks in Central and Southern Britain
2013
Janetta adopted Twinkle, a badly traumatised breeding dog and knew she had to do more to raise awareness of puppy farming. She began writing her first book on the subject
WHERE WE STARTED
In 2011 writer Janetta Harvey adopted a miniature schnauzer. Susie-Belle had lived 8 years in a puppy farm and had multiple health problems including cataracts. Horrified at the harm done to her, and the costs to her rescue of providing veterinary treatment, Janetta began fundraising to support other dogs and campaigning against puppy farming.
2014
‘Saving Susie-Belle’ was published in February. Support was growing, people wanted to make a difference and following a large and successful fundraising walk ‘Paws On The Shore’ in J[̀`] une, nationwide walks in October took place Schnauzerfest was born
2015
Susie-Belle died shortly after the second October of Schnauzerfest walks. Almost £24,000 had been raised for rescues.
2019
In January Schnauzerfest appeared on ITV’s Britain’s Top 100 Dogs, not only highlighting the miniature schnauzer breed but Janetta was interviewed for the puppy farming feature. In October Schnauzerfest became a registered charity having raised over £207,000 since 2014
Schnauzerfest Annual Report 2024
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OUR FIRST YEAR AS A REGISTERED CHARITY WAS THE YEAR COVID-19 HIT
2020
We had to rethink everything we thought we’d be doing as COVID-19 restrictions upended all plans. We built new relationships with rescues around the British Isles, became an affiliate member of the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes, our supporters backed every online campaign we put together, we hosted the world’s first Zoom call for schnauzers, Schnauzerfest Walks The Globe replaced in-person walks, and thanks to a lot of generous donors we sent many Schnauzerfest Grants out to rescues.
2021-23
As COVID continued to complicate fundraising plans we opened an online shop and launched the Schnauzerfest Lottery, adding to the variety of ways supporters could enjoy helping the charity. Janetta’s 5th book was published ‘Why Love Is Not Enough’ to support adopters of dogs from difficult backgrounds. Since charity registration and by the end of the 2023 financial year £428,551 in grants had been provided. Every penny was raised by supporters.
2024
WHAT’S NEXT?
All the time that the work of Schnauzerfest is needed, with the support of our amazing community of supporters and donors, we will continue doing it.
Ten years on from the first Schnauzerfest walks and five from becoming a registered charity, fundraising walks remain at the heart of the Schnauzerfest community. The special nature of dogs is celebrated with every event held and donation given. The network of rescues, adopters and fosterers which are supported by the charity expands year on year, reflecting a difficult reality for many dogs.
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A YEAR OF CELEBRATIONS AND SOMETHING NEW
Supporters came together throughout the year to celebrate and fundraise and unsurprisingly walks were at the heart of everything.
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Schnauzerfest Annual Report 2024
In April, Woofternoon Teas for Schnauzerfest , a brand new fundraising initiative launched. Thanks to a creative volunteer, the idea got off the ground and a range of downloadable resources were produced and available from our website. Southend Schnauzers held the first event.
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www.schnauzerfest.org
MEET SPROUTS
Sprouts suddenly lost her eyesight due to diabetes induced cataracts. A referral was swiftly arranged. Sadly, due to irreversible damage and the speed of the cataract development, Sprouts’s vision could not be restored. As she was experiencing considerable pain, eye removal was the best option. In the weeks following her surgery, Sprouts and her family adjusted to their new life.
Resilience is one thing which dogs show us, and Sprouts and family are shining examples of this in the face of difficulties.
Sprouts is enjoying the good weather and riding around the neighbourhood in her buggy. On walks, she's more confident when there's more than one of us with her. I think she likes to hear the conversation and orients herself better hearing our voices.
The local lollipop lady now knows her and several of the children know that she is blind and are keen to say hello. They are getting used to talking to Sprouts before they touch as to not startle her.
Thanks again for helping Sprouts, we love her so much.
Helena, pictured above with Sprouts arriving at The Ralph Veterinary Referral Centre
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Schnauzerfest Annual Report 2024
SUPPORTING RESCUES
Anousha, Shimei, Rhuby and Esther
were in the care of Northumberland Dog Rescue for several months as they received veterinary treatment and prepared for their adoption.
Among their needs were seriously overdue dentals. All but 3 of Rhuby’s teeth had to be removed. Years of
neglect took a toll, but thanks to the dedication of the rescue team, all went to their new homes in far better states of health and happiness.
Your support is absolutely amazing, thank you so much. We have so many dogs waiting to come in and not knowing what health issues they may bring as well as the cost of neutering and vaccinating, so this could not have come at a better time. Sue, Manager NDR
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Rufus, Franklin, Basil and Frederick
arrived from a breeding situation into the care of Thornberry Animal Sanctuary in Sheffield not long before Christmas.
Aged between 1-3 years, the dogs had been well fed, but it was clear their lives had been limited with little to no exposure to the outside world.
After receiving all the necessary veterinary treatment, including neutering, the dogs were soon adopted to experienced homes.
It wasn't long before Frederick was helping Ali to host the Surrey Hills Schnauzer walks!
Our deepest thanks for the incredibly generous £4,000 Grant. This will make such a significant difference at a time where our outgoings are escalating at an unprecedented rate. Your continued support and kindness mean so much to us and we’re truly grateful. Contributions like this enable us to go above and beyond for animals in need and we simply couldn’t do it without additional support such as this.
Helen, General Manager
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Schnauzerfest Annual Report 2024
OUR YEAR IN NUMBERS
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£147,655 £2092
total grants given to pay for veterinary the average cost to support owners to meet
treatment the costs of their dogs treatment
29 12
rescue organisations received support and
dogs with eye conditions supported
financial grants
4 £17,000
rescues received grants from Schnauzerfest the largest grant total given to a single rescue
for the first time comprised of several throughout the year
66 36
schnauzers / crosses had veterinary rehoming requests for 33 minis,
treatment paid for by Schnauzerfest 2 standards and 1 giant schnauzer
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Every penny of every Schnauzerfest Grant is raised by our wonderful community of fundraisers, supporters and volunteers. Every vet bill that is paid represents a dog who is cared for and helped through the generosity and kindness of many people.
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Oh my heavens thank you so so much! This really couldn't have come at a better time as we have had a few big vets bills recently. We have just taken in an 8 week old who needs surgery - the breeder wanted rid or was going to be euthanized so we took her on so this grant is a miracle!
Emma, Forest Dog Rescue, Worcestershire
We are deeply grateful for your donation of £3,000 and your generous support of Hope Rescue and our life-saving efforts. Your donations bring hope to countless vulnerable dogs and puppies, allowing us to care for them, and find their special forever homes
where they will be nurtured and cherished. The animal welfare sector continues to face ever-increasing challenges; since the start of this year, the number of dogs and puppies arriving at our centre has surpassed even our expectations. We are committed to doing everything we can to rescue, care for, and
ultimately find safe, loving forever homes for each one. On behalf of the entire team and all the dogs at Hope Rescue, I would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation for the wonderful support from Schnauzerfest. Thank you.
Sarah Williams, Hope Rescue, Wales
A key aim of Schnauzerfest is to keep families together and help dogs receive veterinary treatment. In 2024, a number of owners faced challenging financial realities when their dogs required emergency treatment.
When 7 year old Maya suddenly fell ill and collapsed, an emergency visit to the vet resulted in immediate admission to stabilise her. With costs rapidly rising, insurance cover exceeded and borrowing and appeals to friends just managing to meet the first stage of treatment costs, her owner made a successful application for financial assistance.
“I think of all of you constantly! Because thanks to you my Maya is alive! This happened at my worst possible time in my life. I am very grateful. Also to let you know she is doing well. I am having to take her every so often for blood tests as her liver markers are abnormal. But she is well in herself. Thank you!” Maya’s owner, a few weeks later.
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Schnauzerfest Annual Report 2024
Nothing goes unnoticed!
Everything we do is entirely made possible by the enthusiastic dedication of our volunteers, supporters and donors and we offer a huge thank you to everyone. Without our volunteers organising events, running our online shop, auctions and raffles, holding sales and running stalls, gathering prizes for draws, maintaining our social media, sharing our news, appeals and fun of being part of the Schnauzerfest community, nothing much could happen. There are a million additional ways by which people help the charity, and the impact we have together did not go unnoticed further afield.
In September we were very proud of Dave and Jane Rodrigues for reaching the finals of the BBC’s Make A Difference Award.
Dave and Jane organise monthly walks for the charity in their friendly South Coast Schnauzers group. Walks take place across Hampshire and the south coast of England and are always well attended. With terrific support from people going along, the walks raise many thousands of pounds every year.
Jane and I had one of the most humbling and proud days yesterday at the BBC Radio Solent - Make a Difference Awards. Being surrounded by so many kind hearted, like minded and generous people made me proud that our beautiful group was chosen as a finalist. Whilst our group were not the actual winners, we were highly commended and absolutely winners in everyone’s minds. Whilst as a group we are not in this for the awards, we must feel proud of what we have accomplished and what we continue to achieve together. This award is for everyone for your tireless pursuit of happiness for our Schnauzerfest community. Congratulations and well done, we’re so proud of you all.
to every single supporter
Dave Rodrigues
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STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Good governance is fundamental to our charity. We are fully committed to it and it means the charity is well placed to achieve its objectives. Our commitment to the highest standards of governance ensures that we are compliant with relevant legislation, we can review any risks we may face and create and nurture a positive, protected community of supporters who we recognise and value as fundamental to our success. We take data protection and privacy seriously.
We adhere to the Code of Fundraising Practice and all required charity regulations.
INTEGRITY
As a charity we are committed to doing what is right and doing it openly and honestly. The Trustees govern and scrutinise all decisions to ensure we meet the standards set by the Charity Commission and Fundraising Regulator as well as the rigorous standards we set ourselves.
Keeping our supporters’ and donors’ trust is very important to us. We work at all times to ensure that we manage the finances responsibly and are transparent, truthful and reliable.
There are some occasions where we might be prevented from being fully transparent by legislation (for example data protection) or, where a case is operationally sensitive (for example a welfare case). We consider carefully at all times what we share and when, with a steadfast commitment to transparency. We welcome communication and engagement with our supporters and actively seek it.
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Schnauzerfest Annual Report 2024
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
There are four Trustees, all were appointed on 24 October 2019. Janetta Bensouilah
Anne Barlow Camilla Kinton
Annabel Wilson
REMUNERATION OF TRUSTEES
All Trustees act in a voluntary capacity and receive no remuneration or other material benefits from their services to the charity.
APPOINTMENT OF TRUSTEES
Apart from the first charity trustees, every trustee must be appointed for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a meeting of the charity trustees. In selecting individuals for appointment the charity trustees will have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the organisation. The trustees will make available to each new trustee, on or before appointment a copy of the current version of the constitution and a copy of the latest Trustees’ Annual Report and statement of accounts.
TRUSTEE MEETINGS
The Trustee Board meets regularly. Every meeting is minuted and has standing agenda items covering performance, activities, planning, communications, risk and compliance matters. To these are added other relevant items in line with the Trustees’ responsibilities.
GRANT GIVING POLICY
The key element of our work is providing financial support for veterinary treatment. The payment of every veterinary treatment grant is considered and sanctioned by the Board of Trustees.
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LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE
Schnauzerfest is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) as a body corporate under Part 11 of the Charities Act 2011. The CIO registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales on 24 October 2019.
PRINCIPAL ADDRESS
2 Lapwing Close Basingstoke Hampshire RG22 5UU
CHARITY NUMBER: 1185975
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER BANKERS TC Group CAF Bank Ltd Suite 501 25 Kings Hill Avenue The Nexus Building Kings Hill Broadway West Malling Letchworth Garden City Kent Herts ME19 4JQ SG6 9BL
FINANCIAL REVIEW
We are pleased to present our full financial report and statements in the following pages. In brief, our total income for the year was £165,921 and expenditure was £164,606 and unrestricted funds at year end were £51,889.
RESERVES
The Trustees have decided a policy of maintaining 3-6 months of expenditure. They consider that reserves at this level will ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the charity’s current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised
The Annual Report of the Trustees of Schnauzerfest was approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by:
Janetta Harvey, dated 23 June 2025.
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Schnauzerfest Annual Report 2024
FINANCIAL REPORT AND STATEMENTS
INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF SCHNAUZERFEST
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STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Schnauzerfest Annual Report 2024
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BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2025
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
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Schnauzerfest Annual Report 2024
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS continued
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS continued
Schnauzerfest Annual Report 2024
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS continued
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grapher
Schnauzerfest
A charity registered in England and
Wales (1185975)
2 Lapwing Close, Basingstoke,
We thank Dean Bostock, The Paw Hampshire RG22 5UU
Photographer for the use of his www.schnauzerfest.org
cover photos. Tel: 07799865575
Image: South Coast Schnauzers info@schnauzerfest.org
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