Celebrating years of selfless service to uMngeni SPCA

The uMngeni SPCA recently held an informal tea to honour and thank the very special volunteers that work at our SPCA Centre and have been selflessly serving our Society for many, many years.

Anne Smith has been the driving force behind establishing our Gardeners’ Corner, firstly at Campbell Road and later at our Fundraising Centre in Main Street, Howick. She has been with us through thick and thin, planning, executing and running our highly successful plant nursery. Anne not only plants from other nurseries at very special prices, but she also goes to Kloof SPCA to fetch loads of plants donated from their nursery and she also pots out slips, cuttings, divisions of huge matted plants and other material that is kindly donated by gardeners. Whatever else she does with her magic wand to produce the huge stock of fine plants, seedlings, shrubs and trees to sell at competitive prices, I wouldn’t know, but the measure of her success is in the band of loyal supporters who always look for their garden needs at the SPCA Centre before they even think of going anywhere else.

Anne was honoured for her years of dedicated service with a magnificent hand painted plaque and a lovely stone bench that will now hold pride of place in our Gardeners Corner and be known as “Anne’s Nook.” Horace Vilakazi, a valued member of our team and Anne’s right hand man was also thanked for his loyal service.

The tea also served to thank other very special volunteers that have done so much to allow our Society to flourish under difficult economic circumstances and other trying times. They have dedicated hours and hours of their personal time, to our SPCA, showing only care, concern and love for the animals that we are dedicated to helping. Their smiles and happy banter whenever they are around make them an absolute pleasure to work with every day.

Jenny Rooken-Smith, who lovingly takes care of our book section of the SPCA was also honoured with a beautiful wooden plaque. Her room where she sorts out all the many books we receive, will now be known as the “Jenny Rooken-Smith Room.” It is not an easy task maintaining, sorting and arranging the collection of books, yet Jenny does it with complete ease and care.

The other key volunteers that help and take care of our SPCA Centre, were all thanked with an exquisite hand painted plaque that holds pride of place in our reception area at the SPCA centre. It reads “This plaque commemorates all the many hours that so many caring people spend assisting our SPCA, each in their own special way.”

Thank you to each and every person that volunteers to assist us with stamping out neglect, abuse and cruelty to animals.

Please note that our Howick SPCA retail shop that was located in the Spar Centre in Harvard Street has moved to 10 Main Street in Howick, opposite Capitec Bank. There is ample parking available behind the building.

Until next time, take car

PRO for uMngeni SPCA