Who We Are
In 2012 when a national cat rescue charity closed its West Oxfordshire branch, several of the volunteers started Sunshine Cat Rescue. SCR is run entirely by volunteers, totally dependent upon its own fundraising to maintain and run the charity. The charity’s aim is to reduce the suffering of cat/kittens in need of care by providing shelter until new homes are found. While based in Oxfordshire we have no centre and all the felines in our care are with volunteer fosterers who take the animals into their own homes all over the county.
All cats and kittens which Sunshine Cat Rescue cares for are neutered prior to being re-homed. In the case of very young kittens, they are re-homed on condition that the new owner arranges for the kitten to be neutered at the appropriate age. Feral cats which the charity becomes involved with are trapped and neutered before being released back into the area where they were found. Neutering is the most effective way of reducing the number of unwanted cats/kittens roaming the area, thereby helping to provide a safer environment for the general public who are less at risk of coming into contact with potentially aggressive feral and disease-ridden animals.
All cats and kittens which Sunshine Cat Rescue cares for are neutered prior to being re-homed. In the case of very young kittens, they are re-homed on condition that the new owner arranges for the kitten to be neutered at the appropriate age. Feral cats which the charity becomes involved with are trapped and neutered before being released back into the area where they were found. Neutering is the most effective way of reducing the number of unwanted cats/kittens roaming the area, thereby helping to provide a safer environment for the general public who are less at risk of coming into contact with potentially aggressive feral and disease-ridden animals.
Meet Our Committee
Sunshine Cat Rescue is operated 100% by volunteers
LOU TYACK |
KAREN FIDO |
SANDIE INNESS |
Welfare Co-ordinatorI am the Welfare Co-ordinator for Sunshine Cat Rescue. I love reading and gardening when given time but cats have taken over my life for the past 25 years. Horses are my first love but I have no room to keep any here and I am getting too old now to ride.
I was an auxiliary nurse at a local hospital for 13 years which helps with some welfare issues with the cats. |
SecretaryI first came into contact with SCR a couple of years ago, when a beautiful stray wandered into my greenhouse and made himself at home, but wanted to pick a fight with my boys (pictured). Sunshine were so helpful and eventually helped reunite him with his owner!
Fast forward and six months later I joined Sunshine Cat Rescue as a home visitor. I've recently taken up the additional role of committee Secretary and along with some fundraising, help out where I can. Outside of the fun I have with SCR, I work for the NHS, love kitties (obviously) and have been known to do some arts and crafts. Volunteering for SCR helps me get satisfaction in helping our feline furry friends in need. |
Homing Co-ordinatorI adore all things feline so being involved with a rescue charity is my idea of bliss!
It was back in 2000 that I started volunteering with Lou and the team and then took on the fundraising for 9 years, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Although I had a break I was always in the background and loved helping when I could. Fast forward to August 2021 when I started helping Lou with some foster kitties once a week and when an opportunity arose to help with re-homing I jumped at it! What a great team of Fosterers and Home Visitors we have ensuring we find the right homes for all the cats and kittens that come into our care, making my role very rewarding and I am simply loving it. |
JULIE STONEY
Volunteer Co-ordinatorI’m Julie the volunteer co-ordinator for fundraising events.
I live with my 3 boys, hubby Mark, Thai our cat and Alonso, our German Shepherd. I love recruiting and meeting new people to help with our events and chatting about cats and more cats! My hobbies include ballet, BodyBalance, weights, roller skating and swimming, both pool and open water. I try to mix up my workouts and I also like to experiment with cooking nutritional meals. At the moment I am concentrating on training my puppy but give me a cat any day to train, I think it’s easier !!! |
BECS HINDS
Head of ITOriginally from New Zealand, my husband Rich (who grew up in Witney) and I moved with our three cats from Auckland, NZ to Witney in 2007. They actually ended up boarding with Julie when we couldn't move into our house right away. We lost are last "Kiwi Kid" Noah at 18 and a half in 2023, we miss him immensely. We now have 3 girls and 1 boy in our household, Bella, Kura, Rosie and George all rescues, and the addition of various foster kitties.
I began fostering for Sunshine Cat Rescue in August 2023 after finishing treatment for breast cancer. I had fostered previously in NZ, and have experience in vet nursing and I really wanted to do something to help the kitties that are far less fortunate than our crew. More recently, I was honoured to be asked to join the committee and have since taken on all things IT related (with the help of Rich, who works in IT) and will be helping out in any other areas I am needed too. I will also be baking my yummy vegan cakes and slightly famous cheese & spinach muffins for some future Sunshine Cat Rescue fundraising events. The lovely ginger pictured is Sampson who was one of our fosters. |
HEIDI LAMBOURNE
TreasurerI joined Sunshine Cat Rescue in October 2023 when the role of treasurer was advertised. I knew of them via social media and wanted to do more than just donate.
I became a fully fledged crazy cat lady during Covid when I got my first Bengal Sidney, and a year later my second Eric as a playmate for him. They say cat people love every breed and every cat is beautiful. So true. And so I want to do my bit to make sure we can help as many cats as possible. Away from cats I love going to music festivals, concerts and the theatre. I’ve also completed the London Marathon (never again) and love going on fitness weekends. |
SHARON CARBONERO |
Admin SupportI've now been involved with cat rescue charities for over 25 years, always as a Home Visitor, as a Secretary for a while and since Sunshine Cat Rescue started until recently, as Treasurer.
Over the years, I've had the opportunity to meet so many lovely people and their pets and it's always heartwarming to see the happiness that a pet brings to a family. Apart from cats, my passions include the theatre - just love music gigs, ballet, musicals - and warmth, sunshine, blue skies and sandy beaches. Greece and Italy are favourite places to visit, especially via a cruise ship. I also enjoy history and genealogy and have managed to trace my ancestors back to the Vikings, a soldier in William the Conqueror's army and Alfred the Great! |