Members of The Studio Gym have raised over £3,300 for The Rescue Hotel at Cardiff Dogs Home
FOUR years ago, gym owner Owen Edwards adopted Poppy, a beautiful Staffordshire Bull terrier-cross, from Cardiff Dogs Home.
Now, fast forward to 2020, there is a huge demand for dogs as Britons turn to canines to combat lockdown loneliness.
The epidemic also took a heavy toll on charity finances, particularly on Poppy’s old home. This is where the The Rescue Hotel comes in – which was set up by volunteer walkers at the Dogs Home to raise money for the animals that live there.
Money raised by The Rescue Hotel, which is based at the Dogs Home, provides support for food, vet bills, training, building improvements and even toys for the animals to play with.
Owen generously donated blankets to the Dogs Home for Christmas last year. However, this year he decided to go one step further.
The Fundraiser
Earlier this month Owen and his team at The Studio Gym in Cardiff Bay Business Centre attempted to run, cycle, bike and row as far as they could, continuously for 12 hours from 6am to 6pm.
“As a team, we accumulated 1061 miles. Many of us did 30mins on, 30 mins off for 12 hours. We used a number of pieces of equipment to achieve this total.”
Owen Edwards
1061 miles landed them virtually just four miles out from Gibraltar. So far, they’ve raised over £3,200 for The Rescue Hotel and over £500 in gift aid.
On top of this, Owen and his team travelled over 200 miles further than expected and raised over double their original £600 target, which was hit in the first two days after the donation page was launched.
Notable participants included 72-year-old Phil, who added over six miles. Another member, Jon Goodall, virtually rowed a marathon on one of the machines used in the gym.
The Studio Gym has only been open for four years and is still a relatively young business, with 150 members in total.
Despite the pandemic, 90% of participants returned after a six-month closure due to lockdown restrictions. Members are also regular volunteers at The Rescue Hotel and help out on a daily basis.
At a time when resilience, generosity and empathy have been needed more than ever, The Studio has demonstrated a wealth of kindness that has been a source of pride and inspiration.
Owen is now planning to organise a 24-hour fundraiser next year. The 12-hour fundraiser still remains open for those who wish to donate here.
To find out more:
The Rescue Hotel
Poppy’s old home, The Rescue Hotel, first came into being in 2019 after a small group of volunteer dog walkers got together to support Cardiff Dogs Home.
One of the volunteers, Alex Milakovic, who has helped at the dogs home for the last five years, supervises the charity’s social media platforms.
Every donation really can make a difference. Your donation can help feed a dog, help towards vet fees, or help with training costs.
The Rescue Hotel
Speaking about the recent fundraising challenge, Alex said: “At the moment all we really depend on is donations from the public or fundraisers. This money will make such a difference and will go towards any dogs requiring any medical needs and towards upgrading the hotel.
“Our main goal is to revamp the kennels and get a new fence garden built. It would make the whole experience for the dogs who are residents a lot better for them.”
The Hotel became a newly registered charity in April this year to fundraise and provide additional support for the dogs being looked after at Cardiff Dogs Home.
Despite Covid-19 cancelling the official launch and a fundraising event at The Lansdowne Pub in Canton, the charity already has a number of successes, including two official ambassadors.
You may recognise one charity representative, Sam Warburton, who became the first ambassador for The Rescue Hotel in April.
The former Wales and Lions captain is currently raising funds to improve the kennels at The Rescue Hotel which will provide higher welfare standards for the dogs.
“We are trying to raise as much money as possible in support of The Rescue Hotel and to help refurbish the kennels which are in desperate need of repair. The funds raised by The Studio, Cardiff, are a great contribution and will really make a difference to the lives of our dogs.”
Sam Warburton
To make a donation to Sam’s page to support The Rescue Hotel, visit here.
To find out more about The Rescue Hotel:
