We raised £2,216 for our Charity of the Year – Cats Protection!

SPARK® TSL selects a charity to support for the duration of each year as part of a company-wide initiative, with a goal of raising £2,000 or more. Previously, our efforts have been dedicated to fundraising for some remarkable causes such as the Alzheimer’s Society and Exeter’s local homelessness charity, St Petrock’s.

This year, our sights turned to the UK’s leading feline welfare charity, Cats Protection.

Cats Protection helps an average of 157,000 cats and kittens every year in their network of over 210 volunteer-run branches and 24 centres.

The organisation goes beyond rehoming by providing educational resources to cat owners, empowering them with knowledge and guidance for responsible pet care. Additionally, Cats Protection offers financial assistance and support for neutering, which is a crucial step in managing the feline population and ensuring the health of individual cats.

Their vision is a society where every cat has the best possible life because they are protected, cared for and understood by everyone. We couldn't agree more, as Cats Protection holds a special place in the hearts of many people at SPARK® TSL.

We are thrilled to announce that over the past 12 months, with the help of many generous donators, we have exceeded our target by raising £2,216!

In May, to kick-start the fundraising, colleagues Matt, Annette, Ria, Alice, and John completed the inflatable 5K obstacle run in Exeter. The rain and mud didn’t defeat them, and all 5 team members made it across the finish line in one piece. Thanks to the generosity of their sponsors, an incredible £640 was added to the pot.

Within our office environment, we held a competitive ‘guess how many mini eggs in the jar’ for Easter, several cake sales which went down a treat with the team, and we even raffled a day’s annual leave, which certainly kept morale high.

In October, Matt, Becky, Ria and Annette participated in a local cat boot sale to represent Cats Protection. Their efforts, once again, proved to be a great success, and £125 was raised within a few hours after some great bartering and interaction with the passers-by.

To round-off the year, the Marketing Team hosted a Christmas charity raffle with 10 great prizes up for grabs, including Amazon and spa day vouchers, wine, and luxury food hampers. The team’s collective final push for donations meant that we surpassed the £2,000 mark just before December drew to a close. 

It's been a fantastic year filled with both remote and in-person events, and we're grateful for the money we managed to raise. This amount will significantly support the vital care and resources needed for helping our beloved feline friends find their forever homes.

We look forward to more fundraising and charity work for other organisations in 2024!