2020 What a Year!
2020 has been a memorable year for all the wrong reasons. COVID 19 turned the world upside down and even our little bubble wasn’t left unscathed. COVID 19 made me rethink about how the charity is run.
Long gone are the days of braving the elements to take the rubbish to the tip replaced with two industrial sized bins that are emptied on a weekly basis. The tombola drum is gathering dust in a far corner of the attic where it is likely to stay. Fundraising is now an online thing. eBay sales are still going strong and Facebook sales have taken off over the last 12 months and that is without the auction that is run every month on our Facebook page. What started off as a one off during lockdown 1.0 gained more popularity than I ever imagined with people messaging wanting to know the date of the next one.
As a small animal charity run from the comfort of my own home we were not entitled to any government support for the COVID 19 pandemic. However it is safe to say that due to the generosity of our supporters and volunteers not only have we survived while bigger charities folded; we have thrived.
Baby Bunnies Everywhere
2020 has also been the year of hand rearing baby rabbits, both domestic and wild. I was able to successfully rear ten baby wildies and release nine of them back into the wild. The tenth, named Flash for the white blaze on her forehead hid under the volunteer’s skirts and refused to go. In the twenty four year that I have run Bunny Burrows this was a first for me! I have never seen a rabbit so happy to come back!
Ying and Yang my lockdown babies were abandoned at a vets just a few days old after being attacked by their rabbit parents. Seeing the wounds on their tiny bodies was heart breaking. If that wasn’t enough it soon became apparent that all was not right with Ying. Her back right leg had no feeling and although it caused her no pain it hindered her moving. At three months old and weighing just over a kilo, Ying had it removed. Since then there has been no stopping her!
Thank You All
Thank you to everyone who has donated goods, money or time; Bunny Burrows would not be here without you. Every donation is much appreciated regardless of its size. The support received in Christmas cards this year has been amazing. I apologise for not sending every donator a Christmas card but you know what life here is like – chaos. I frequently wish for several more hours in the day and a lot more energy too!
In the twenty four years I’ve run Bunny Burrows, 2020 has got to be the most challenging year yet. But we have survived. Let’s hope that 2021 is a quieter year.
Merry Christmas, Gwen x