Last chance to vote for South West heroes in major awards
Time is running out for you to cast your vote to help a Devon and Cornwall-based project win the coveted ‘Project of the Year’ trophy at the National Lottery Awards 2022.
The annual National Lottery Awards celebrate the people and projects across the UK who do extraordinary things with the help of National Lottery funding.
The public voting stage for the Project of the Year category at this year’s awards opened on September 7 and since then, thousands of people across the country have cast votes for the 17 finalists to help decide this year’s winner.
But with the public vote set to come to an end on October 12, time is running out to show your support and Refuge4Pets is appealing for your help to get them over the line.
Refuge4Pets provides safe animal foster homes and gives domestic violence survivors the peace of mind that their pet is well looked after until they get settled.
Leaving an abusive relationship is a difficult step to take and survivors face a number of hurdles to walking out.
One of these can be a beloved pet and the fact that they cannot be taken into emergency accommodation, which can cause further distress to survivors and their children.
Dr Mary Wakeham, who has worked in the field of supporting children and adults who have experienced domestic abuse for 12 years, was determined to remove this barrier.
In 2017, she founded charity Refuge4Pets, which provides safe animal foster homes and gives victims the peace of mind that their pet is well looked after until they get settled.
Dr Mary Wakeham said: “We’re so pleased to have been shortlisted as a finalist for Project of the Year in the 2022 National Lottery Awards.
“Anyone who has a pet knows how important they can be to families and individuals. For those experiencing domestic abuse, pets may provide their only source of comfort, companionship and love.
“Most emergency housing and refuges do not accommodate animals, which makes the services provided by Refuge4Pets so important.
“If you are a survivor of domestic abuse, with no money, your children in tow and with animals, it is almost impossible to escape. Thanks to National Lottery players, Refuge4Pets can remove some of these barriers to help domestic abuse victims reach safety.
“We’d urge everyone to get voting to help Refuge4Pets become the National Lottery’s 2022 Project of the Year.”
At the end of the month-long voting window, the finalist with the most votes will be crowned the National Lottery Awards 2022 Project of the Year.
The winning project will receive a £5,000 cash prize and an iconic National Lottery Awards trophy.
Jonathan Tuchner, from the National Lottery, said: “We’re so excited to have such an incredible list of contenders for the Project of the Year category at this year’s National Lottery Awards.
“It’s always an incredibly competitive category and this year is no different.
“Thanks to National Lottery players, more than £30 million goes to good causes across the country every week, making vital projects like these possible.
“So don’t forget to make your voice heard by voting for your Project of the Year in the National Lottery Awards – with your help, Refuge4Pets could be a winner.”
To cast your vote for Refuge4Pets, visit the National Lottery Awards webpage at https://lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards, or simply share the hashtag #NLARefuge4Pets on Twitter. Voting closes at 5pm on October 12.
*The public vote was suspended during the period of mourning for her Majesty the Queen and reopened on Tuesday 20th September.
