‘Forgotten’ Gift Aid could help the RSPCA run one of its wildlife centres for a whole year

The animal welfare charity urges people to #tickthebox and donate an extra 25% through Gift Aid.

This Gift Aid Awareness Day which takes place tomorrow (Thursday 7 October) the RSPCA is encouraging people to boost their donation by 25% at no additional cost to help even more animals in need. In 2020 there was over £1 million of unclaimed Gift Aid for the RSPCA and this amount could run a wildlife centre for a whole year to help animals like Hubble.

Hubble, the young common seal, was rescued from Camber Sands earlier this year where he had been found immobile and with blood around his face. He was taken to RSPCA Mallydams Wildlife Centre in Hastings where he spent a month recovering from lungworm before being released back into the wild at Pett Level beach.

“It can take months of medical treatment and huge amounts of mackerel before a rescued seal is well enough to return to the wild where they belong.

“The seals eat enormous amounts of fish – mostly mackerel or herring – and this represents a huge part of the wildlife centres’ budgets. If it wasn’t for us, these seals may not have received the help they needed but we really need the public’s help because without their donations we simply couldn’t do what we do.” – RSPCA Wildlife Rehabilitation Team Manager at Mallydams, Richard Thompson

Gift Aid is a government scheme that allows charities to claim an extra 25p for every £1 donated to them by a taxpayer. Not only could unclaimed Gift Aid run one of the charity’s four wildlife centres for a year but each time someone ticks the box to gift aid it makes their donations go further. A donation of £100 grows into £125 courtesy of HMRC when it is topped up with Gift Aid which could cover the cost of two days of specialist vet care for a seal like Hubble, as well as some tasty fish.

“We are thrilled to be taking part in Gift Aid Awareness Day this year. Last year, there was over £1 million of unclaimed Gift Aid for the RSPCA. This money could pay to run a wildlife centre for a year, or could cover the full cost of 11 of our vital inspectors who are out rescuing animals in desperate need of care every day. We rely on generous donations from the public and Gift Aid helps those donations go even further so we would urge anyone who donates to please #tickthebox to help us rescue and care for the animals that need us the most.” – Chris Sherwood, Chief Executive of the RSPCA

The RSPCA is taking part in the Charity Finance Group’s campaign to encourage people to #tickthebox and add Gift Aid to their donation. Gift Aid is a tax relief scheme available to charities. It means charities can claim extra money from HMRC as tax relief – an extra 25p for every £1 donated – at no additional cost to the supporter. So if the supporter gives a £10 donation, charities can claim back an extra £2.50, making that £10 donation actually worth £12.50 to the charity.

To help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in desperate need of care please visit our website and remember to #tickthebox to give Gift Aid today.