On Tuesday night at The Grand Connaught Rooms in London, The Mayhew Animal Home’s Tinsel and Tails Christmas Fundraiser had plenty of glitz, glamour and of course gorgeous dogs.
James McVey from The Vamps and Stephanie Pratt were among the celebrities and their canine companions, who attended the star-studded event which honoured some of the incredible achievements The Mayhew has accomplished in 2016. The evening also aimed to raise money to ensure the charity’s vital work continues in future.
KISS FM presenter Pandora Christie hosted the evening, and other guests included Danny-Boy Hatchard, Debbie Bright, Marc Abraham, Rumer, Kate Lawler, Olivia Buckland, Danni Menzies and Sue Jameson.
The Mayhew’s annual fundraiser was this year sponsored by Tails.com and Sity Walks, and celebrated with The Mayhew’s 130th year. Guests dined on a three course meal and enjoyed drinks while they watched Bollywood dancers from R&R Productions and participated in a festive auction and raffle. Over £23,000 was raised on the night.
Prizes on offer included a London Wine Academy Tasting Masterclass, box tickets to see a home game at Old Trafford, home of Manchester United, House of Commons tour, and a cake created by The Great British Bake Off finalist, Jane Beedle, which made an astonishing £300 on the night.
A video featuring the ongoing work of The Mayhew, which showcased the variety of different people they help delighted the audience. It focussed on their work in the community, supporting pet owners, the homeless, the elderly and vulnerable, in an effort to prevent animals ending up in shelters. The emphasis of the video was also on the importance of informing current and prospective pet owners on meeting their pets’ needs. The charity’s overseas work was also showcased.
However, the real stars of the evening were some of The Mayhew’s former and current residents. Many of the dogs were brought to The Mayhew as strays or because of neglect and abuse. The great news is that each of them were helped by The Mayhew to recover and live a full and happy life again. While a few await their forever home, most have been found new families to love and share life with.
The Mayhew’s Chief Executive, Caroline Yates, said: “It was a fantastic night and we managed to raise an incredible amount. It was great to see so many people with dogs of all different shapes and sizes on the red carpet.
“Tinsel and Tails is all about celebrating the charity’s work in rescuing and rehoming dogs and cats and raising funds to enable this work to continue. The fundraiser was a great opportunity to highlight some of the many animal welfare issues our staff are faced with every day, including cases of neglect and illegal breeding, and showcasing our ongoing work out in the community helping vulnerable pet owners. The Mayhew receives no government or lottery funding so we rely completely on the generous donations of our supporters.
“I would like to thank everyone who attended and helped us raise awareness of the vital work we do both in the UK and internationally. All the money raised will go towards to helping more animals in need.”
Events Officer, Zoe Sheehan, added: “A massive thank you to everyone who attended and helped support The Mayhew, including staff, volunteers and celebrities. It was a great success and we can’t wait to do it all over again next year!”
Even if you couldn’t make the evening, you can still donate and help the Mayhew to help more animals in need. Go to www.themayhew.org/donate. If you think you could offer one of their residents another shot at a full life, visit www.themayhew.org/adopt.