Bikes, Berlin build-up and the exciting world of tarpaulins – meet the fabulous supporters who’ve been raising funds for the BHWT this month…
Emma’s going coast-to-coast
Yorkshire hen lover Emma Scott is gearing up to take on a 230-mile coast-to-coast cycle ride to raise funds for the BHWT.
Emma, who lives in Oldham (“it’s on the border – I’m firmly a Yorkshirewoman!” she insists) and works as a teaching assistant in a special educational needs secondary school, will set off from Fleetwood near Blackpool on July 21 and ride to Hessle (near Hull) over 12 days, following cycle routes and sections of the Trans Pennine Trail.
She’ll be cheered on from afar by her six rehomed hens, including Trudy, Lucky, Tracy, Percy Peckerhead and Tommy Toetapper. Naturally, Emma has chicken cameras set up in the coop, so she can check in on them while she’s on the road. Priorities.
The challenge has personal meaning too. Emma originally planned the ride with her dad, as a coast-to-coast cycle had long been on his bucket list. Sadly, after a bad fall from his bike, he can no longer take part, so Emma is completing the journey for both of them.
Emma first started keeping hens around 10 years ago and says she is now “utterly obsessed”. There may be hills, weather and the odd wobbly moment ahead, but she is hoping for “a nice ice cream stop or two” along the way. Frankly, we think she’s earned the flake already.
Sonia plays a Blinder
Exmoor hen keeper – and Peaky Blinders fan – Sonia Watters and her son Jack are marching forth for the BHWT, taking on the historic 30-mile Exmoor Perambulation to raise funds for rehomed hens.
Sonia, a retired teacher who specialised in special educational needs, adopted four hens last November naming them Lizzie, Polly, Ada and Esme after the female characters in Peaky Blinders. At home, naturally, they are known as the “Pecky Blinders”.
“They are very cheeky characters and very curious and nosey,” says Sonia. “Cleaning them out is very challenging as they always want to get involved.”
The walk follows the ancient boundary of the Royal Forest of Exmoor, including areas of private land not usually open to the public. Support them at their GoFundMe here – by order of the Pecky Blinders.
Hats off to Jon Joy
Huge cheers for BHWT super-supporter Jon Joy, who recently completed the Newbury 10k in his trusty chicken hat and BHWT top, despite some seriously warm weather.
Jon decided to take the race a little steadier than usual, partly because of the heat and partly so he could chat to the crowd about why, exactly, he was running dressed as a chicken. The plan worked beautifully. Even the event organiser came over afterwards to talk about adding extra hens to his own flock.
“It really shows the power of spreading the message at these events,” says Jon, who is also a dedicated BHWT volunteer and has now raised a remarkable amount for hens through races including the London Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Great North Run and Great South Run.
The Newbury 10k also marked the start of Jon’s 16-week training plan for the Berlin Marathon, meaning there are plenty more miles, chicken hats and hen chats to come.
Good cluck in training, Jon. We’re with you every step of the way.
All hail the quail
Good things come in small packages. Just ask supporter Alison Ward, whose flock has been helping raise funds for the BHWT in miniature.
Alison has been keeping quail for years and reckons they make “lovely little pets”. Better still, their eggs have become an effective way to support the charity, with a local farm selling Alison’s quail eggs alongside its own free-range hen eggs and passing the proceeds on to the BHWT’s Egg Club.
“The greater proportion of the money we raise for the Egg Club comes from these little ladies laying their eggs,” says Alison. Thanks, ladies!
Tarp marks
And finally a huge thank you to the Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust (JSAWT), which has awarded the BHWT £4,000 towards vital rehoming equipment.
The funding has been used to buy new tarpaulins for our rehoming teams, helping keep hens dry, safe and comfortable as they travel to meet their new families. On a wet rehoming weekend, a good tarp is worth its weight in gold.
“This tarpaulin is rugged and easy to use,” says Swansea volunteer Meleri Tweed. “It really helps us get the girls where they’re going dry and safe. Things like this don’t always get the credit they deserve, but they make all the difference when the rain is lashing down.”
Oxfordshire volunteer Lucia Singer agrees that the new equipment has another unexpected benefit: making rehoming days look a bit more legit when teams are meeting adopters on the move.
“Before, when we’d pull up at a service station with a trailer full of chickens, people did sometimes wonder what was going on,” she says. “The tarpaulins make everything look proper.”
The Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust said it was pleased to support the BHWT’s ongoing rehoming work, citing both the high number of hens rehomed each year and the charity’s “impressive history”.
On behald of the countless hens who’ll now be snugly out of the rain, thank you JSAWT for having us covered.
If you’d like to chat to us about your own fundraiser, we’d be delighted to hear from you – simply email fundraise@bhwt.org.uk with your ideas.
