|
In the beginning ...
From 1997 until 1999 a dozen friends were working as volunteers for another west country German Shepherd Dog rescue centre: fundraising, administrating and so on.
However, as so often happens, ideas, aims and expectations of charitable work differ greatly and not everyone wanted to continue following the direction of the organiser - in short, a number believed they could do very much better on their own.
Therefore in October 1999 the group held their first meeting in Holsworthy and decided to apply to the Charity Commission for registered charity status. Realising it could take several months - and with all the enthusiasm connected with the new Millennium - the name G.S.D. 2000 was selected, sincerely hoping the application would be approved at some time during the coming year!
Trevor Hadlow, the original Chairman, spent weeks completing the registration application forms, seeking advice, drafting the Charity's governing document and going to and fro dealing with the many resultant queries, but his drive and determination won the day. Everyone was surprised and delighted to receive confirmation of acceptance from the Charity Commission on the 15th January 2000: the dream, 'G.S.D. 2000 Rescue & Re-home', had become a reality.
Moving on
For the first few weeks there was no money available other than digging deep into the pockets of Mary & Trevor Hadlow, Kathy & Adrian Moyse, Annie & Jim Masling and Viva Ewington, who somehow managed to keep the Charity solvent whilst maintaining either one or two dogs in boarding kennels and sorting out their seemingly never-ending veterinary problems.
Kathy Moyse was chief fundraiser and very soon she and Adrian decided to hold a "garage sale" every Sunday at their home near Holsworthy. Her enthusiasm was absolutely infectious and Annie and Jim Masling and some friends were soon renting a village hall near Cheltenham and holding monthly table-top sales. For six months it was a case of begging for items to sell, collecting, sorting, washing, ironing and pricing, in addition to home-checking and driving dogs up and down the motorway between Gloucestershire and Cornwall for kennelling ……… oh, but it was a summer of success and so much fun.
Kathy decided the only real way forward was for G.S.D. 2000 to have its own Charity Shop and began searching for suitable premises. No-one had any experience whatsoever of running a business and Adrian (the Charity Treasurer) was more than a little concerned about the prospect of signing a lease and paying thousands of pounds - that we did not have - over the next five years. Anyway there was no stopping Kathy once her mind was set …… she quickly convinced Annie …… and Adrian and Jim were persuaded to sign the lease.
Kathy managed to recruit eighteen part-time volunteers to run the shop and in the first week banked £747, but quite soon weekly takings in excess of £1000 were the norm and it was not long before she decided to quit her job so that she could spend more time doing what she liked best, working in the shop and promoting the Charity.
Too good to last
Kathy was diagnosed with terminal cancer in January 2003 and died on New Year's Eve the same year, at just 57 years old, the youngest and most energetic of us all. Thankfully in those last months she worked continuously for G.S.D. 2000 and chose Janet Watson to take over the responsibility of managing the Charity Shop, ensuring it would be in safe and capable hands for the future.
Co-founders Adrian Moyse and Annie Masling remain in the posts of Treasurer and General Secretary to the Charity
|
|
