Our Strategy
Our next chapter: building a future for animals and the people who love them
Margaret Green Animal Rescue has been caring for animals and the people who love them for more than 60 years.
Since 1965, we have rescued animals in need, helped them recover, found them new homes and supported the communities around them. Our new strategy sets out how we will continue to grow our impact across the South West.
The world of animal rescue is changing. We are seeing more animals with complex welfare and behavioural needs, expectations of modern rescue charities are evolving, and we need to build a more resilient income base for the future.
Our new five-year strategy sets out a clear ambition from now until 2031, with a longer-term ambition towards 2036, all underscored by our four commitments.
Our four commitments
Outstanding animal welfare and care
A personalised, behaviour-led plan for every animal, with specialist care for the most complex cases.
Prevention, education and community
Helping people become confident, responsible pet owners, and stopping problems before they start.
Partnerships, influence and thought leadership
Working with organisations, such as the RSPCA and Forever Hounds Trust, and sharing our expertise to help influence national policy.
Sustainable income and retail
Growing our shops and diversifying our income, so we can keep providing outstanding care.
Underpinned by: our people, our places, smart use of data and good governance
1. Outstanding animal welfare and care
Every animal is an individual, so our approach to their care should be too. We already take a behaviour led approach to every animal's care, and we will build on this further, with a personalised plan for each individual. As more straightforward rehoming cases are supported through foster placements and our Home Match service, our centres can focus on animals with more complex needs who require specialist, on-site care.
2. Prevention, education and community
We want to prevent problems before they start, rather than simply picking up the pieces afterwards. That means growing our education and community work, helping people become confident and responsible pet owners, and making our shops greater sources of advice and support within their communities.
We will also better measure the advice and support we provide, so we can demonstrate the difference it makes.
3. Partnerships, influence and thought leadership
We cannot do everything ourselves. By working with other organisations, we can share expertise and achieve more for animals. We will continue to build partnerships with organisations such as the RSPCA and Forever Hounds Trust, while investing in our own people and developing Margaret Green Animal Rescue as an academy of excellence: the place other charities look to for skilled, committed staff.
We also want to be part of the national debate on the future of animal rescue, sharing our expertise to help influence policy across the sector.
4. Sustainable income and retail
Our aim is to build a more diverse and resilient income base. We are growing and developing our shops, with an ambition to open around two new shops each year, alongside improvements to existing stores, such as Swanage, increasing the proportion of donations where we can claim Gift Aid, and developing new income streams.
Being a centre of excellence for animals with the most complex needs depends on skilled, specialist staff, our greatest asset and our greatest cost. We maintain a higher staff to animal ratio than many other rescue charities, because that is what this level of care requires, and sustaining it for the future means building a strong income base behind it.
You, our supporters, are integral throughout our charity’s history. Our shared passion for animal welfare will continue to be vital to our future plans, and we will share the stories and greater levels of data demonstrating the difference that your support makes in the lives of animals and people across the South West.
Looking ahead
Our new strategy is about making sure Margaret Green Animal Rescue can continue to be here for animals, and the people who care about them, for generations to come. This is the beginning of our next chapter and our ambition is to make it one that lasts for the next 60 years.
You can watch our short film about the new strategy below.
Investing in our people and places
Our strategy is also about investing in the people who make our work possible. We will develop our staff through leadership development, meaningful career opportunities and fair reward, and grow our volunteer community with clearer specialist roles, new posts and apprenticeship opportunities, and better recognition of the contribution volunteers make. In our retail teams alone, we are aiming for 150 active volunteers by 2031.
We will invest, too, in the places where our work happens. Church Knowle, our Head Office and Visitor Centre, is where the first phase of our site investment will take shape, subject to planning permission and fundraising.
As part of the first phase, we have recently installed new fencing around the top of the site, and we plan to re-open The Chase, our space for horses and farm animals. Further phases may include refurbishing other buildings, such as our cattery, though these ideas are still at an early stage.
Proposed kennels at Church Knowle: an update
We had also been exploring new kennels for rescue dogs at Church Knowle. Before making any decisions, we wanted to hear what local people think, and we are grateful to everyone who came to our drop-in session or shared their views with us.
Our Board of Trustees has decided to pause the proposal for new kennels, taking the opportunity to fully consider and reflect on the views that have been expressed to us. No decision has been made, and we will keep in touch with local residents and everyone who cares about our work as our thinking develops.