Acknowledgements
The Felix Fund
It is with heartfelt gratitude that Here for Cats acknowledge receipt of an important legacy and the recognition of our ethos and experience in receiving this. Through our dedication to “Give every cat, its best life”, the work of Felix Cat Rescue and the memory of Felix Holling will live on. Thank you.
The background to this legacy, is detailed below:
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Felix Cat Rescue (registered charity number 1003939) – a brief note from its Committee members.
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Felix Cat Rescue was set up in 1990 by Felix Holling and many hard working volunteers to rehome abandoned and homeless cats and kittens and offer welfare for them. For many years it flourished and had an excellent reputation in Surrey and East Hampshire but after a series of unfortunate events including the death of Felix himself and the need to vacate the cattery premises it operated from, its fortunes and the impact it could make started to decline. This was acerbated by an aging membership and inability to find younger members or those with sufficient time who were fit and able to help the cause.
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The charity survived mainly from the generosity of legacies and was kept going by a very small team. However its homing rate was decreasing and the number of cats it was helping similarly dwindled. The arrival of a significant legacy signalled the need for change. As with many similar charities it needed to find fresh impetus to fulfil the wishes of its members and the late Felix Holling and use its funds effectively. It was with sadness that a decision was made in 2019 that as a charity, Felix Cat Rescue, would be wound up as this objective was becoming increasingly difficult. However, as the saying goes the ‘the fire is not out until the embers are black’ and those embers of hope, continued to glow bright. The legacy brought with it new hope of joining with another suitable cat charity to continue the heritage and the good work that Felix Cat Rescue and its founding volunteers had started nearly 30 years earlier. The search was on to find such an entity that fulfilled the brief of caring for disadvantaged cats but hopefully, was still local enough that it would encompass the areas that Felix Cat Rescue had served previously.
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After consideration of other suitable charities, impressed with the ethos and modus operandi of Here for Cats and the sheer dedication of its volunteers who between them had a wealth of experience in all aspects of cat welfare, it was decided by the membership of Felix Cat Rescue (following modest donations to two other cat related charities) to transfer the residue of its assets to Here for Cats. The financial resources of Felix Cat Rescue it was felt could then be put to very great use in furthering the objectives envisaged by both charities. The injection of the significant legacy from the late Patricia Lawrence and other kind legacies from those who wanted to benefit animal welfare could really fulfil the need to help cats in distress in the hands of Here for Cats volunteers, helping them to increase the good work they were already doing.
Here for Cats has agreed to hold the monies transferred to it from Felix Cat Rescue as a restricted fund called the “Felix Fund” to be applied for the cat related activities undertaken by Here for Cats in the County of Surrey at the date of the distribution, excluding any existing or future Here for Cats capital projects.
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We would therefore like to thank everyone and in particular those who, over the years, supported Felix Cat Rescue and hope that they will continue this in supporting the charitable efforts of Here for Cats. So although we recognise that it is sad that Felix Cat Rescue as an entity is no more, the spirit of Felix Cat Rescue and its founding father, Felix Holling, will continue to live on in Here for Cats.
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Footnote: If you have very kindly left a legacy for Felix Cat Rescue in your Will then this will need to be cancelled and perhaps you might like to think of replacing it with a legacy in favour of Here for Cats instead.
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With best wishes
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The Committee members of Felix Cat Rescue