Westcotts charity bingo night raises over £8,000 for Woodside Animal Welfare Trust

Westcotts fundraising bingo night raised over £8,000 for Woodside Animal Welfare Trust earlier this month (11 April 2024). The event was held as part of a year long fundraising effort for the charity, which is nominated as the charity of the year (2024/25) for the Westcotts Plymouth and Torquay offices.

An animal rehoming charity based on the outskirts of Plymouth, Woodside is a large and vital safety net for vulnerable animals. As well as looking after young and healthy animals before they are adopted, the Trust has a collection of much loved resident pets that are unlikely to be adopted, such as the elderly and long-term sick. The animals include dogs, cats, rabbits and hamsters as well as a few hand reared sheep, goats and a pot-bellied pig. The Trust relies on donations for its running costs which are high as many of the pets need veterinary attention and may be at the Sanctuary for some time as they recover.

The fundraising evening, held at Plymouth Argyle, saw guests enjoy several rounds of bingo, including a music round and a quiz round, alongside good food and a raffle. The event was a roaring success with over 200 people in attendance and over £8,000 raised for the charity.

Matt Keane, Westcotts Charity of the Year region lead for South Devon said: “This year the staff in both our Plymouth and Torquay offices voted to support Woodside as our nominated charity for the year. The team has put in a huge amount of work to ensure our first large event was a triumph – a special shoutout to Brooke Morey, Charlotte John, Emma Mills and Rebecca Kelly who worked tirelessly in the background to make this a success.

“The event went off flawlessly and was enjoyed by all of those who attended. Thank you to everyone who came along and kindly purchased numerous raffle tickets as well as to Ollie Jackman and James Fisher of Agile Business Comms Ltd who compered the evening amazingly!”

Lisa Darcey, Assistant Manager at Woodside Animal Welfare Trust said: “Everyone at Woodside is astounded by the money raised at the bingo night organised by Westcotts. The kindness and generosity of those who attended on the evening, as well as the efforts put in by the Westcotts staff was truly amazing. With over 140 animals on site at present and the numbers growing these funds will be put straight to work on the animals in our care.”

Westcotts is committed to supporting the communities in which the team live and work. Matt Keane, Charity of the Year region lead for South Devon, has been working with the Plymouth and Torquay teams on ways to support the charity. This event was the latest in a series of fundraising initiatives, with previous events organised including a Halloween themed bake off.

The team have more exciting event plans in the pipeline, including several team members preparing to tackle the 3 Peaks Challenge later in the year.

Westcotts Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers has a team of experienced and talented experts with a wealth of knowledge offering a wide range of specialisms and services. The firm has supported individuals and businesses across diverse sectors operating in local, national, and international markets for over 30 years.