how you can help

The Friends cannot exist without the help and support of like minded people. People, who maybe, are addicted to the Many Tears website and can't help checking it daily. People who have maybe only looked at the site once or twice but think, yes, they are doing a good job and I would like to help but don't know what to do. People who care passionately about animals and are willing to do almost anything to help. People who maybe have never seen the Many Tears site (although there can't be many of you) and have stumbled across this site and after reading it, think, yes it's a good cause I'll help. So I think that covers most of us and if you really want to help keep checking this page and over the months more ideas will appear. So we need your help to raise more money for Many Tears; vet's bills alone can be £1400 a week. So what do you get out of it? Hopefully a great deal of enjoyment and a lot of satisfaction in knowing that you are helping these dogs. Dogs that may be 10 years old and have never had a day's kindness or love in their lives until they arrived at Many Tears. Dogs that have come from Puppy Farms and may have lived all their life in a shed never having seen the light of day. Dogs that have been plucked from death on their ninth day at the pound. Dogs that have been thrown away like a piece of rubbish because their owners no longer wanted them. If you would like to re-home one of these dogs please look at the Many Tears website, there is a link from this site or if you want to help raise funds please read on, you are all welcome to join us in raising much needed funds.

Shaving Off the Profits for Many Tears

Dorian, who is a fosterer for Many Tears has made us a great offer. He runs an on line business that sells shaving creams, soaps, skin care products, bridal tiaras, teddy bears and some nice costume jewellery. If anyone would like to purchase any products, please mention Many Tears in the comments box at the checkout stage, then 5% of the order value will be donated to the Friends of Many Tears.

In addition to that a £15 voucher to spend on the site will be offered to the best or hardest working fundraiser each month. Fundraising can be hard work but now some lucky Friends will be able to order something nice to pamper themselves as a reward for all their hard work. Simply visit www.abbiegails.co.uk and shop, shop, shop. Don't forget to mention Many Tears in order to get our donation.

STOP PRESS: Earn 10% for Many Tears on the new Natural Grooming Company and Natural Real Shave ranges. So if you order from these ranges, the commission we can earn is doubled. Please take a look and see if you can help our cause.

If you want to check out Dorian's website please go to www.abbiegails.co.uk and shop, shop, shop. Don't forget to mention Many Tears in your order to get our donation. This could be a great help to us so please check out the website to see if there is anything suitable for you.

September voucher winner
Lyn (mid Wales) has very deservedly won the voucher for September. Lyn has been on board right from the very beginning and has held several events for us as well as selling pens etc at work and supplying the tea towels we used to sell. She is a constant support to Glenda via e-mail and designs all our sponsorship forms. She has just completed the Swansea Bay 10k race in just over an hour raising us in the region of £150. What a very worthy winner. Well done and many thanks for all you do for the Friends and Many Tears.

Postcards

Paula has kindly made us some lovely postcards which she will mail to you if you want to place one on a noticeboad at work etc or in a newsagents window to advertise Many Tears. Please get in touch with her at
frostyaq@googlemail.com Thanks Paula, great idea.

Small Change Equals Big Difference

Margaret who helps with street collections locally and now Kerry are big believers in this one. Margaret usually asks family and friends to empty their pockets and purses of change before a street collection, this change she then brings to the collection to "start us off". Kerry has a box at work in which colleagues place their small change, she has even sent me a label which I will gladly forward to anyone who wants to make a box for where they work. Simply count it up form time to time, pay into your bank account and send a cheque for the amount, payable to the Friends of Many Tears marking the back of the cheque Small change please also add your e-mail address so that we can let you know it has arrived safely. Then mail to:-

Jenna Young
16 Heol Dwr
Scleddau
Fishguard
Pembrokeshire
SA65 5RQ

Small Change really will make a Big Difference to the dogs at Many Tears.

Standing Order Scheme

There are some people who for whatever reason simply cannot help us raise funds in the normal way. So we have introduced the standing order scheme. We are looking for a small regular amount paid monthly by standing order from your bank account to ours. A small amount from £3 upwards that one will hardly notice or miss. However lots of small payments all added together will raise much needed funds for Many Tears. To join simply e-mail Glenda at glenda.fry@btinternet.com for a standing order form.

Street Collections

Our street collections in 2007 were very successful and we will shortly be arranging some for 2008. We need help with these as the more people that are out on the street the more money we will collect. If there is anyone who can bring a dog along please do so as, from past experience, it is the dogs that collect the money. Maybe you have had a dog from Many Tears and would like to help by bringing that dog along and collecting for whatever time you can spare. Please let us know if you can help at any, even if it is just an hour or two.

2008 Collections

Shopping Centre Collections
Oxford - Westgate Shopping Centre - Saturday 23 February - £635 collected
Reading - Pets at Home - Saturday 22nd March - £110 collected
Haverfordwest - Pets at Home - Friday 4th April - £175 collected
Bristol - Cribbs Causeway - Saturday 26 April - £616.37 collected
Haverfordwest - Morrisons - Friday 29th August - £450 collected
Taunton - Sainsburys, Billet Street - Thurs/Fri/Sat 18/19/20 December

Street Collections
Haverfordwest - Saturday 22nd March - £380 collected
Bridgend - Saturday 22nd March - £285.30 collected
Llanelli - Saturday 5th April - £303 collected
Wrexham - Saturday 12th April - £591.82 collected
Swansea - Saturday 26th April - £580.40 collected
Henley on Thames - Saturday 31st May - £192.16 collected
Cardiff - Saturday 19 July - £540 collected
Milford Haven - Saturday 23rd August - £144.53 collected
Caerphilly - Friday 24th October - £70.28 collected
Bristol Saturday - 15th November
Carmarthen - Saturday 22nd November
Cardiff - Cancelled
Swansea - Sunday 7th December

Motorway Services Collections
Roadchef, Taunton Deane Services M5 Junction 25-26
29 & 30 November (Saturday/Sunday)

2009

Street Collections
Windsor - Saturday 24th January
Swansea - Saturday 25th April
Taunton - Saturday 30th May - To be confirmed
Swansea - Sunday 20th December

Motorway Services Collections
Roadchef, Taunton Deane Services M5 Juntion 25/26
3/4/5/12 April (Friday/Saturday/Sunday/Easter Sunday)
13 & 14 June (Saturday/Sunday)
26 July (Sunday)
1,2,21,22, 23 August (Saturday/Sunday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday)

Roadchef, Sedgemoor Services Southbound M5
Junction 21/22 - 10th April (Good Friday)

Contacts
Please contact Glenda for Swansea, Llanelli and Carmarthen at glenda.fry@btinternet.com.

For Bristol collections please contact Debbie at deborah@louiseworrall.freeserve.co.uk

For Milford Haven and Haverfordwest collections, please contact Helen at Morrimuir26@aol.com

For Henley-on-Thames, Oxford and Windsor, please contact loraineisherwood@hotmail.com

For Cardiff, please contact angelamills@btinternet.com

For Bridgend, please contact kirstenacton@aol.com

For Wrexham, please contact sandykells@aol.com

For Caerphilly, please contact sarah@watkins3.wanadoo.co.uk

For Taunton and all motorway services collections please contact Jenni at jennianne48@tiscali.co.uk

Please support us in this as not only do we collect much needed funds, it also promotes Many Tears and could possibly lead to the rehoming of a dog or dogs.

Saved for Christmas Dogs

You may be aware that one of the busiest times for Sylvia and Many Tears is the period leading up to Christmas and through into the New Year. This is because most animal rescues close down at this time of year but the pounds stay open and they don't stop their clocks, nine days is nine days. Sylvia however, keeps Many Tears open all through this period and takes in as many dogs as she can, which places a huge strain on resources. So, to plan ahead for that time of year when Many Tears needs the extra funds, we launched the Saved for Christmas Dogs Appeal in 2007. With the help of this appeal we were able to give Many Tears a cheque for £3000 and £200 worth of treats so we will continue this appeal into 2008. Find yourself a jar or a dish or a bottle and simply save your 20 pences whenever you receive one in your change. It may only be a few a week, but you won't miss it and over the year it will build into a nice sum, especially if there's lots of us involved. Sometime in November, I will ask you to pay your collection into the bank and then send me a cheque payable to Friends of Many Tears Animal Rescue (mark the back of the cheque Christmas Dogs). Early in December, we will pass on a cheque to Sylvia that will hopefully ease some of the weight on her mind just before the busiest time of the year. We also hope to get some press coverage for the handover to alert people that there will be more dogs looking for homes after the holiday period.

Cakes

One that worked well for my daughter-in-law when she worked in Bath was a cake day. You simply buy or bake some cakes, take them into work and sell to colleagues and friends for 50p or £1 per slice. It is surprising how people from other offices and departments come along once they know cakes are on sale. Maybe put up a few posters a day or two before the cake day. Again, please send your cheque as above marking the back Cake Sale.

School Liaison

We are looking for people all over the country to liaise with their local school or schools, should that be one school or half a dozen. However many you fancy doing.

Start by contacting the Head, tell him about Many Tears and ask if his school would like to support Many Tears by doing a non-uniform day for us. Follow it through until the day you go to pick up the cheque payable to Friends of Many Tears Animal Rescue and just put school non-uniform day on the back of the cheque along with the Head's name and the name and address of the school so that I can follow it up with a thank you letter on headed paper.

At some point either before the day or when collecting the cheque you should be prepared to give a small talk on the importance of respecting animals, to treat one's pets with kindness, etc. There are two points to this task. Firstly, again to raise much needed funds. Secondly to educate the children who are, after all, the next generation of pet owners. If you are thinking yes, fantastic, I can take lots of pictures of the dogs and see how many homes I can get, then I am afraid that isn't what this job is about. Taking on a dog is a huge responsibility and needs careful planning. It is not a spur of the moment thing because Little Jimmy is throwing a wobbler as he liked the white one. That is how many of these animals end up in rescue centres. That is not to say that if a genuine enquiry came out of it, such as the Head's wife was looking for a Westie and there just happened to be three at Many Tears that she could choose from, well that would be marvellous but please absolutely no pressure on the children.

If you think this one might suit you, contact Glenda on glenda.fry@btinternet.com.

Are You A Carbooter?

If so, do you fancy doing one to help Many Tears. It will not be too long before June, July and August are with us. Hopefully the cold, wet, windy weather will be behind us. What better time to clear out your old bits and bobs. Get together with a friend or two. Have a good laugh while at the same time getting rid of your unwanted or surplus items and again make money for Many Tears. After the event send me a cheque payable to Friends of Many Tears Animal Rescue marking the back of the cheque Carboot Sale.

More ideas will be posted here over the months so keep a look out. However even with lots of ideas we will not raise funds unless we get support. We need your support.

You will have noticed a theme here. Whichever way you raise funds, send a cheque to me payable to Friends of Many Tears Animal Rescue marking the back of the cheque with whatever way the money was raised. That way I can keep a proper record of exactly how much each idea makes and let you all know at the end of each year. If you require a receipt, please enclose either a stamped S.A.E. or your email address

He was convinced that he'd fool the crowd with his Nessie impression

Facts & Figures

Know Your Breed