Philanthropy

If you're an individual or representing a trust or foundation and considering supporting Battersea, thank you.

Through the generous support of our philanthropic partners, we’ve been here for every dog and cat for over 160 years. With no government funding, philanthropic support has a direct and profound impact on the ability of Battersea to be here to help the thousands of dogs and cats who find themselves in our care each year.

Our Philanthropy and Trusts team would love to work with you to explore how to align your passion for animals with the work Battersea does across our three centres and beyond our gates.

Contact the team at philanthropy@battersea.org.uk

A lifetime of impact: John and Sammy

It is thanks to kind-hearted philanthropists like John and Sammy that we can continue much of our work to support dogs and cats in need. The pair first came to Battersea as legacy pledgers, wanting to remember Battersea in their respective Wills. However, thanks to John’s life-long love of cats and owning three of their own, they soon decided to become regular donors as well, making many extremely generous gifts towards our three catteries over the years that they’ve supported us.

The first project we were able to fund thanks to their generosity was the Collingwood Cat Recovery Ward in the Veterinary Hospital at Battersea. This was followed by the outdoor cat pens at our Brands Hatch centre, called the Collingwood Mews. Both were named after two of John and Sammy’s extravagantly named cats: Thompkins De Courcey Collingwood and Ethel the Lady Collingwood. Gifts from the couple have also funded the very first cat pens with outdoor space opening soon at our London centre and a new Cat Maternity Unit, known as the Collingwood Maternity Suite, also the first of its kind at Battersea.

Sammy explains, “Neither of us have any descendants, so both of our family names will end with us. We decided to become Battersea donors as a combination of John’s real love of cats and our desire to divest ourselves of money to benefit charities while we were still alive. There is a certain satisfaction in doing what you had planned to do anyway but doing it while you’re alive so you can get that ‘rosy feeling’ from it. I must say I’ve been really impressed with the general atmosphere and efficiency of Battersea; they have been so appreciative and caring in their treatment of us.”

Sadly, John recently passed away, but his legacy will live on through the remarkable contributions he and Sammy have made to Battersea over the years. Sammy says, “John absolutely loved cats in every way, so it’s a great booster for me to see the projects we’ve helped making a difference. He got an enormous amount out of knowing we were supporting the cats at Battersea.”

Kennel club charitable trust

2021 marked an extraordinary twenty-year partnership between Battersea and The Kennel Club Charitable Trust.

Now, as the Kennel Club Charitable Trust approaches its 40th anniversary in 2027, they are helping to mark this milestone with an Incredible grant of £300,000 to Battersea Global Programmes across the next 6 years.

‘Battersea Global Programmes are a lifeline to so many smaller canine welfare charities who need help to make their operations more sustainable, efficient and professional,’ says Bill King, the kennel Club Charitable Trust's Chair of Trustees. ‘In funding much-needed grants and training sessions that enable Battersea’s outstanding team to share their knowledge and expertise, we have an opportunity to change the lives of thousands of dogs, every year. Ultimately, our aim is to keep tails wagging by supporting those who do so much to rescue, train and rehome many of our must vulnerable four-legged friends.’

Paul Marvell, Executive Head of the Battersea Academy says that the £300,000 grant, “marks an extraordinary commitment to Battersea's work and helps us to ensure that our full range of training programmes are safe for the future.”

Helping animals in the greatest medical need

Each year, Gavin Tollman, CEO of The Travel Corporation (TTC) Tour Brands, makes a generous donation to a cause close to his heart as a Christmas gift to his company’s hard-working executives around the globe. In 2022, the dogs and cats of Battersea were delighted to be the beneficiaries of this generosity. Gavin’s gift will fund Battersea’s vital External Treatment Referral Fund which helps us care for animals with specialised medical needs. Find out more and read the stories of several animals who have started their new chapters thanks to this fund.

Our generous supporters

We’re so grateful for the support of our community of generous donors. Without them, we couldn’t be here for every dog and cat.