The change in seasons and especially the clocks going back has a dramatic effect on our day to day running. The darker nights obviously make the days shorter, but they also become a lot more difficult.
You are battling against the clock and daylight from the off, chuck in the elements and it means some very extreme days.
The dogs don't suffer though, the hard work and dedication of our team means that they still get the same love and attention, fed twice and at least two walks per day.
However, it also means we get really stretched, so at this time of year we are always looking to recruit people who fancy a new winter hobby!
Saturday the 16th November we are holding a Volunteer Recruitment day at our HQ in Greenwell Road, Alnwick NE66 1HB from 9am. Comprising of an introductory talk and question and answer session, these non obligation sessions are a great way for people who want to volunteer or maybe those who are just contemplating it, to find out exactly what we do and what it is all about.
These events have been very successful in the past, in fact some of the existing team came via this path, the morning will give you a chance to meet some of them and find out their thoughts and experiences too.
Speaking to some of the team this week about what volunteering at SHAK meant to them provided some very positive information. Words such as rewarding, special, commitment and making a difference were commonly used as well as paragraphs like "SHAK has transformed our lives" "You see some things you will never forget and hear stories you thought weren't even possible" and "it's a big commitment to volunteer but you get rewarded back in ten fold by those amazing dogs."
One volunteer even said it was the most rewarding thing she has ever done other than giving birth to her children.
Being a volunteer with the dogs isn't just about walking them. We are very much a hands on charity, with roles such as cleaning the kennels, preparing the feeds and general housekeeping duties all vital in the day to day task of making life as enjoyable as we can for our dogs. So maybe if the size and strength of our furry friends is a little too much, you could always help in other ways?
Of course it's not just in the kennels that we need help, our shop in Blyth is essential to our existence and again runs on voluntary help. There is so much more to running a successful charity shop than you see on the shop floor. Sorting all the donations, steaming, pricing etc, all of which take valuable time.
So if learning about any of the above is something that interests you why not pop down on the 16th for a very informal chat and to get more information. The more help we get, the better life we can give our dogs.