Petpals franchisee puts the steps in for 55km walk for terminally ill children
On Saturday 3rd September, experienced pet-care provider and co-owner of Petpals Chichester, Sue Vinsome, put her dog-walking skills to good use by participating in the South Coast Challenge. The challenge saw Sue, alongside her four team members dubbed ‘The Unforgettables’, walk 55km non-stop along the south coast to raise money for the Sussex Snowdrop Trust. This charitable initiative was the latest in a series of fundraising events that Petpals franchisees up and down the country have been undertaking – and one which the brand is keen to celebrate.
“I am so proud to support the charitable activities that our Petpals network is doing to raise money and awareness for causes important to their communities”, said Kevin Thackrah, Director of Petpals. “Our franchisees join us because they are passionate about helping others, demonstrated by inspiring individuals like Sue.”
Sue, who launched her Petpals franchise in Chichester alongside her husband Jon this year, has always been passionate about helping her local community and providing Petpals’ award-winning pet-care services to Chichester. This sentiment echoes in her devotion to raising money for a charity that directly affects and supports the people she serves in her local area. A dedication that saw her walk for more than 15 hours over rocky terrain and in some tricky weather conditions. Starting in Eastbourne, over the Seven Sisters, the South Downs, along the Brighton seafront and ending in Hove, the walk started at 8:30am and didn’t finish until midnight.
“Thanks to a lot of dog walking with Petpals, I have quite an active lifestyle, but nothing could have prepared me for such an intense walk! Our newest Petpals recruit, Sarah, even did some leaflet dropping as part of her training for the big day! There were many ups and downs, mainly due to the steep and hilly ground we were trekking on, but the stunning coastal scenery and the important cause we were doing it for made it all worthwhile,” said Sue.
Together with her ‘Unforgettables’, Sue has raised over £50k since taking part in various charity walks and events since 2016. This time round, Sue and her team raised funds for The Sussex Snowdrop Trust, a unique charity providing ‘Nursing Care at Home’ for local children with life-threatening or terminal illnesses. Located in the Chichester area of West Sussex, the cause is very close to her heart. “Two of our ‘Unforgettables’ team members sadly lost children, and the charity was phenomenal in helping support them and their families,” said Sue. “It felt right to raise money for a local cause that me, my team and my community hold dear.”
Petpals and its network of franchisees prides itself on supporting the areas they serve, and this doesn’t stop at providing quality pet services to their community of furry friends. A growing number of franchisees are placing importance on supporting their communities through fun and charitable events that raise money and awareness for the causes they and their communities care most about.
A testament to this is David Gray, co-owner of Petpals Darlington, who will be following in Sue’s many, many footsteps. This October, he and his team will be participating in a charity walk of their own to aid suicide prevention, a cause important to him and his local community.
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