A LOCAL cat rescue charity near Frome has been given a £20,000 grant to help build new cat pens.

Support Adoption For Pets, the UK’s largest grant giving animal charity, has given the money to Cats In Distress, a cat welfare charity in Berkley.

The charity operates in Bath, Frome, Bradford on Avon, Trowbridge, Westbury, Warminster and the surrounding areas but will take in any cat regardless of the area it comes from.

Founder Ginny Parratt said: “Work started on site before Christmas on our new litter storage and feeding room.

“This has been planned with the new pens in mind and a corridor will eventually link the two blocks together. “Being awarded a grant of this amount really will make such a difference to us and will of course mean that we’ll be able to help even more cats.

“We are dedicated to the rescue, care, and rehoming of all cats and kittens whether domestic, stray, injured, abandoned, feral or mistreated. If we can help, we will.

“Since we were established in 2016, we’ve helped over 400 cats and we now help over 150 cats a year.”

The rescue centre has ten foster homes and an existing wooden cattery of five pens on Ginny’s land. It is managed by three trustees and around 20 full-time volunteers.

Mrs Parratt said: “The grant will benefit our charity by helping towards the cost of five new purpose-built pens for the cats that we rescue, rehabilitate and rehome.

“The cost of offering the best care to the animals we help really adds add up; so this grant will be a huge help to us and we are extremely grateful to the team at Support Adoption For Pets.”

Laura Messenger, grant funding co-ordinator at Support Adoption For Pets, said: “It is a real privilege to be able to help such an important organisation that works tirelessly to care for and rehome pets in need. “They are doing a remarkable job and we’re delighted to be able to support them so that they are able to continue helping more pets in need.”

In 2006 Pets at Home founded the charity Support Adoption For Pets. Since then it has helped more than 1,000 rehoming centres and animal welfare organisations across the UK.

In addition to its fundraising work, it also runs dedicated adoption centres in Pets at Home stores.

For more go to www.supportadoptionforpets.co.uk.