The Louis Trichardt SPCA's staff and volunteers have a little more breathing space, after the first tranche of a R3 million grant from the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) was paid over.
The local animal welfare group received just over R1.8 million in June, which will enable it to purchase a new vehicle for Senior Inspector Lawrence Khodobo, as well as the fuel he will require to perform his duties. The grant covers the salaries for the staff, with an additional amount set aside to appoint a part-time assistant at the kennels.
The local branch of the SPCA has been running on tight budgets for the past few years. During a fundraising auction held in November last year, it was stated that the average monthly cost of caring for the animals and running the SPCA's programmes is between R120,000 and R130,000. The organisation receives no subsidies from the government or the local municipality and is totally reliant on donations.
This is not the first time the Louis Trichardt SPCA has received funding from the national lottery, but there has been a long gap since the previous grant. In 2016, the NLC announced that it had shifted its priorities and would no longer support animal welfare organisations.
In 2023, the NLC announced that animal welfare organisations could again apply for funding. Non-profit entities can only apply for funding every second year.
The Louis Trichardt SPCA's committee members were very excited about the NLC grant, but warned that it is meant to fund specific projects, and the continued support from the community is needed. “This will fill a lot of gaps,” said Antjie Brennan, one of the committee members.
The biggest portion of the grant will go towards purchasing the new bakkie. This is especially necessary to serve the vast area, which stretches as far as Masisi in the north.
The money will also be used to assist the SPCA in its outreach programmes, specifically the sterilisation programmes in rural areas. Over the past few years, several of these have been conducted in Tshikota and the Sinthumule and Kutama regions.
“These funds will greatly impact our ability to continue the efforts to fulfil our mandate and we are deeply appreciative that the NLC has deemed our society worthy of supporting. The motto of the SPCA Louis Trichardt is ‘speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves’ and we are thrilled that NLC has joined our cause – literally putting their money where their mouths are,” said Brennan.
Alicia Thomas, another committee member, was excited about the fact that they can now also focus on building projects. For the past few years, all donations had to be channelled towards running costs, leaving almost nothing to maintain and extend the kennels. They hope that additional funding can now be used to improve the facilities.
The NLC grant covers a period of two years, and the remainder will be paid over next year.
For more information, or to volunteer during an NLC-funded SPCA Louis Trichardt outreach, contact Alicia Thomas on 084 900 5332.